


Magnetic North

by CMo_AllTheTime



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alaska, Aviators, Axe-throwing, Birdwatching, Cookies, Cut-off jeans, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Nicole!Pilot, Poker, Push-Ups, Seaplanes, She'll Swing an Axe, Star Gazing, Swagger - Freeform, Waverly Bakes, Waverly Plays Guitar, Waverly Teaches Yoga, all the things, beach fire singalongs, erotic pita & hummus, kayaks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 10:04:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 40,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18280901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMo_AllTheTime/pseuds/CMo_AllTheTime
Summary: Enemies to Lovers AK AUKodiak Island, Stack Bay Lodge, Summer 2019Waverly Earp, Bartender/ Yoga instructor meets and locks horns with Nicole Haught, Bush Pilot/Wilderness Guide.





	1. As If I Didn’t Notice You

**Author's Note:**

> “We are absolutely 100% under no circumstances allowed to fall in love.....oops.” -Laura Sebastian
> 
> _________________
> 
> Thanks to LuckyWantstoKnow for Beta-ing
> 
> _________________
> 
> Soundtrack for Scene One  
> Peer Gynt, Opus 46: Morning  
> https://open.spotify.com/track/5CwNAWbnzAzu33Y4Sry4OJ?si=fUIjr76tQN-d4pCm_C-GQQ
> 
> _________________
> 
> Look for weekly updates.

The sparkling sun on the ocean greeted the new day. Baby willows were dusted with dew and a gentle breeze was filled with the sounds of life.

Waverly Earp looked out to the horizon, hoping to spot some wildlife. She lifted her binoculars, narrowing in on a small group of puffins enjoying the rise and fall of the waves, occasionally diving deep into the dark waters. Breathing deeply, she leaned her smiling face into the warming sun.

This island escape was just what she needed: A job and a chance to renew. You might say, feeding two birds with one scone. The beach was rocky and uneven, with a row of small buildings and a short dock. Her eyes followed the line of floating walkways out to a deeper spot in the bay, hoping for whales. She walked the length of the beach and looked back to where she started.

It was early, even for Alaska in the summer.

As she scanned the scene, no one else from the lodge was out and about— at least no one that Waverly could see. It was like she had the whole place to herself, a slice of Eden at the end of the world.

She slid her hands into her pockets to walk across the short wooden bridge to the meadow. Gus had warned her to keep an eye out for bears, but frankly she couldn’t wait to see one. She bit her lip and crossed her fingers, still tucked into her pockets for warmth. There was a raised deck a few yards away. She walked over and set down her things, considering this spot for her yoga classes, when needed. From up on the deck, she had a view of the bay with a line of shimmering light from the sun warming her heart.

Yes, this would do just fine.

Waverly couldn’t help herself; her hands pressed themselves together in a heartfelt namaste. She looked to the east and then stretched her body long and lean into a simple sun salutation. The boards creaked as she raised herself up into a downward dog.

Waverly raised her knee and moved slowly to the warrior pose, finally spotting a whale with a spout far off on the horizon. Her heart pounded and her face strained to smile even more than she had the moment before. She held the pose, hoping to magically inspire a second spout to appear. She swore she could see a shape gliding under the water. She grabbed her binoculars and tried to find where her eyes had been only seconds before. Yes, there it was! A long black flipper with dots of white peeked out of the water, causing her heart to pound in her throat.

Waverly grabbed her bag and rushed down to the beach to get closer.  All the while, she split her attention between the shadow on the horizon and the uneven terrain at her feet.

Her first whale!

The whale moved closer and then Waverly saw a second spout. She jumped for joy and wished Wynonna _or someone_ were there to experience it with her.

But no. Watching the pair swim into the bay was like a dream. Here she was in Alaska— and it was just liked she’d hoped it would be.

She stood quietly and watched them swim, first moving inland and then fading off into the distance, finally waving to them as they moved around the edge of the cove.

She kicked a rock at her feet and looked at the colors of the wet and dry stones. It was all too good to be real.

Waverly traced her path back to the dock and continued to the opposite end of the beach. All the while she was taking furtive glances at the shorebirds floating in the bay. A mother duck and her babies left little wakes in the protected area of the bay, enjoying the shallows.

The air was filled with birdsong.

Until suddenly, a mechanical buzz cut into the music of the bay.

At first it was a low hum, but as the sound grew louder in the sky above, her serenity was lost.

Waverly turned to see a small seaplane angling overhead and doing a fancy curve along the shoreline, shaking all the birds into the air.

The ducks squawked and rushed off. Everything flew away and in their place was a white and yellow airplane capturing the bay all for itself.

Although Waverly and the rest of the staff had arrived by boat, she knew the routine. Guests would arrive by DeHavilland seaplane. She could feel her spirits sink as the plane navigated its way across the water right to the floating walkway.

Waverly didn’t have this arctic paradise all to herself.

She was here to work. She’d be here as a waitress/bartender/campfire sing-a-longer. No one did just one job and now the hardest job of all would be putting on a friendly face for the group that had just so rudely disturbed her peaceful morning.

She hadn’t expected the plane to be so loud and annoying. As it moved closer, it spewed a puff of exhaust into the pristine morning air that made Waverly wrinkle her nose.

Their first guests of the summer were here.

Time to smile and wave.

A small group from the lodge came out to greet the plane, all in various shades of plaid, denim, and leather.

Waverly suddenly realized she was not in uniform. “Oh, Fudgenuggets!”

She ran back to her cabin to change into her own flannel shirt and cowgirl hat, hoping to make it in time for formal introductions.

 

Before she could get back to the lodge, the first group of the summer was off to their cabins.

Waverly kicked herself for missing her very first responsibility.

Gus called Waverly over to her. “Next time I want you here, on time and in uniform.”

“Yes ma’am.

Gus asked Waverly to help unload their guests. As they walked, Gus asked how Waverly was getting settled in. “I know we told you that you could have cabin two all to yourself, but we have a little change in plans. Nothing major, so don’t get too worried about it.”

“Gus, don’t be silly. I’m sure I can handle it.”

“Good. That’s kind of you.”

“Please… I can roll with the punches. Have you met my sister? ”

Gus laughed. “Well, alright. Wynonna’s got seniority, so she’s the queen bee with cabin one’s queen bed all to herself. That leaves you and the girl’s bunk house.”

Waverly nodded and tried to stay close as they quickly walked out to the docks.

Gus continued, “Our usual pilot and fishing guide is a fella. He did somethin’ stupid and got injured. So now we have a last minute replacement. Her name is Nicole. She’ll be here off and on.”

A set of tall shoulders in a leather bomber jacket heaved inside the small plane.

Gus chuckled, “Speak of the devil.” She looked over to Waverly, “This here’s your new roommate.”

With another quick movement, the woman was standing about a foot away, carrying a sturdy-looking green and silver cooler with both hands. Her face was cocky and relaxed, “You think you could give me a hand with this?”

“Sure…” Oomph. Waverly’s affirmation was cut short when the heavy chest was slung her way. Her arms adjusted and the weight slipped as she stepped back on the swaying dock.

Gus grabbed a handle. “Here let me help you with that.”

Waverly used both hands on her end and then she and Gus set the chest off to the side. Out of the corner of her eye, Waverly saw a sticker on the ice chest that started to crack her icy mood. _I Love Animals._

Waverly realized she might have been too quick to judge. Maybe Nicole was more than just a loud, stinky bush pilot. How sweet!

Waverly’s eyes narrowed on smaller letters underneath. _I Love Animals._ ** _They’re Delicious_** _._

No. Her instinct were right. She was a very good judge of character.

The pilot called out from the back of the plane, “Are you guys here to help? _Or just enjoy the show?_ ” As she spoke, she had a small stack of bags piling up at the edge of the dock.

Gus stepped inside the plane and called out, “I’ve got things to do, but I wanted to get the mail bag. Waverly here will help you. She’s your new roommate so I’ll let her show you the bunkhouse. It’s not much, but there’s a lock on the door and carpet under your feet.”

“Excellent.”

Gus backed out. With one foot on the deck she called back to the pilot. “See you!” Gus could see Nicole straddling a large keg in the back of the plane. She looked sternly at Waverly as she left, “You better get in there and help her.”

Waverly ducked her head in the door sheepishly, “Gus said you needed some help.”

“Thank goodness someone here can read my mind.” Nicole rolled the canister out of the corner, “Yes.” She pushed the object towards Waverly, “Can you grab an end? Careful. It’s heavy and let’s try not to shake it up too much.”

Waverly wrinkled her nose, “What is it?”  
“Beer. And-- lift!”

Together they maneuvered the long object through the small plane and out the door. “Watch your step.”

Before she could register the warning, Waverly tripped on the duffel and fell back, dropping her end of the keg onto the edge of the dock. It started to slip, but Nicole caught it and jerked back to save it from falling. With the sudden movement, she hit her head, “Fuck!” and dropped the keg inside the plane. She watched it roll, clank and bang its way down the short plane until it hit the center console in the cockpit with a loud thud.

“And there goes my tip! Lost in a mother f-in’ foamy microbrew 500 miles from home.” Nicole held her lips tightly together trying to keep her cool. She rushed to the keg and held it steady for a minute, while she tried to get ahold of her temper. She carefully examined the console for damage from the hard hit.

Waverly leaned in, apologetic. “I’m so sorry. I…”

Waverly stopped. She could see she wasn’t helping.

Out of nowhere came Wynonna rolling a bright yellow utility cart up the dock with a lollipop in her mouth and a devious grin on her face. “What are you two slackers doing? _And is there any chance I can get in on it?_ ” She could sense Waverly was in a sour mood and gave her a wink in an attempt to lighten her spirits.

Waverly lifted the bags into the cart and crossed her arms in frustration. Her eyes were down. She could see the stupid sticker, _I Love Animals. They’re Delicious._ Next to the chest, she saw a small tank of gas and a white bucket with the word BAIT written in black sharpie across the side. Someone was ready to tackle Mother Nature.

Wynonna gave her lollipop a little attention and then turned back to her baby sister, “I’d love to help but there’s an emergency related to the generator that’s calling me. And then some quick YouTube tutorials on stick and poke tattoos. How hard could it be, right? My work here is never done. See you after lunch for the survivalist training?”

Waverly grunted, “Yeah, yeah. I’ll bring the camo make-up.”

“Su-weet!”

Waverly sighed as she watched the grumpy pilot roll the keg back to the door. She dreaded trying to help her get the blasted thing out of the small door and into the lodge, but inhaling deeply through her nose, she gave it her best go, “Listen, if you’re willing to give this another try, I think we can work it out.”

Nicole was at the door, leaning on the keg with a dubious but friendly look on her face. “Are you sure you can handle it?”

“I’m sorry. I swear. I’ll make it up to you. I pour the drinks and I’m an expert at controlling foam. They’ll never know about this little snafu.”

Nicole considered the proposition, “Interesting. Any chance you want to back-up all the bragging with a wager?”

“Um, maybe.”  
“Good. The only reason I’m so invested in this damn doppelbock is for a little extra cash. A girl’s got to bring home the bacon, if you get my drift.” Nicole leaned forward and smiled right at Waverly.

Waverly got her drift alright. _Bacon, my ass._ “Alright. I’ll take you up on that, with one correction: I’ll be bringing home the _bagels_. No meat for me. _Thank you very much.”_ Waverly spoke slowly trying not to be distracted by the pilot’s cleavage, just hanging out there in the broad daylight. She cleared her throat as she re-gained focus, “No more than an inch of foam on any beer and you owe me half your tip.”

Nicole objected, “Let’s set a limit on this. I’m taking these fellas on two full day trips. I’ll give you half, but only up to three even.”

Waverly swallowed hard. _Three hundred dollars! Try to act cool._ She extended her hand, “Sounds good.”

Nicole refused to shake. “Not so fast, missy. If the beer fails or more likely, if you fail the beer, what do I get?”

Waverly couldn’t match the cash. She tried her best, “A month’s worth of yoga sessions and my best vegan cheesecake.”

Nicole was at a loss for words, trying to contain a contemptuous smile, “Let me think about that.” She clicked her tongue and looked off into the horizon, running her fingers through her hair. “Do you have anything else to offer?”

Against her core sense of right and wrong, Waverly blushed. She did not appreciate being flirted with by this gas-guzzling carnivore! Besides that, she knew she wouldn’t lose the bet. She blurted out, “I can get you into the sauna.”

Nicole was intrigued, “Go on…”

“For the rest of the summer.” Waverly was feeling competitive. “And, I’ll wash your towels.”

Nicole extended her hand to shake on the deal, “For the rest of the summer?”

“Deal.”

Nicole lifted the keg from the plane and set in onto the deck with a not-to-subtle thud. She made an innocent face in Waverly’s direction, “Oops! My bad.”

Little did Nicole know, Stack Bay Lodge didn’t even have a sauna.

____________________

 

Before dinner Waverly walked back to the bunkhouse, unsure of how she could stand this part-time roommate, this Nicole Haught, who was so tall and cocky. And tall.

It was just not what she had planned out for this summer.

She wanted quiet walks with her toes deep in a carpet of dew-kissed salyx. Birds chirping and cottonwood floating in the wind. Whales and willows. Eagles and sweet little otters swimming on their backs.

She did not want the incessant pounding of an axe, echoing into the wilderness OR airplanes spewing exhaust and scaring off wildlife, faster than a gunshot.

She rounded the corner to see who was making such a racket. Pound, pound, pound and was not at all surprised to see her new favorite person busily destroying nature’s bounty.

Some might call it splitting wood.

Others, of weaker moral fortitude, might have been distracted by the way Nicole swung an axe, her classic white tank top, or the glistening of sweat off her shoulders and arms.

A handful of folks might find it charming the way each swing was accompanied by a short heave of air from the woman’s lungs.

A few might notice the way Nicole tried and failed to blow the hair from her face.

But not Waverly.

Never.

She was too strong a woman to be distracted by all that.

 

And luckily, she was fast enough on her feet to hide behind the same corner, before the world’s sexiest lumberjack saw her staring. And drooling.

 

 


	2. As If I Didn’t Look Forward To Seeing You Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole’s busy flying around and keeping busy, but not too busy to check out the beachfire singalong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Notes:
> 
>  **Landslide,** by Fleetwood Mac  
> As covered by the Dixie Chicks  
> https://open.spotify.com/track/5hviCr3lgg6LY6noG6DPKs?si=0CAMivFeQj6tNQLxf0vbPg  
> From Glee:  
> https://open.spotify.com/track/2J22VgQALSoekF3KCj1nIk?si=krVw-rEDSlGeB_JroVjOKg
> 
>  **Untouchable Face,** Ani Difranco  
> https://open.spotify.com/track/2E8AVQcuYSlXm12g112Kef?si=Rl-N96cFRciLuWas6mlGng
> 
> Thanks to LuckyWantstoKnow for help with all the things.

 

__________________________

From inside the cockpit, everything seemed so clear, every flight planned from A-to-B. Nicole saw the white peaks and ragged bays below her.

Life persists— and so did she. She flew, moved people and gear. She kayaked and set up camp for six. She caught, gutted, roasted and iced fish after fish after fish. Two weeks in and the summer was rolling like a river.

So far the only item off track were her tips. Thanks to an ill-advised bet. By _ill-advised,_ she meant an impulse concocted by her own cocky ego. Nicole knew her soft spot— and someone who checked so many boxes was clearly a risk.

Stack Bay Lodge didn’t even have a sauna.

So much for turning over a new leaf. Old habits die hard.

Since then, she’d rarely talked to her roomie. Nicole had seen her from a distance in denim cut-offs and her Stack Bay flannel tied in varying knots, twists, and ties. She helped Doc in the kitchen and talked more with the guests than anyone else on staff, as far as Nicole could tell. A real go-getter.

The main place she and Waverly’s’ lives overlapped was in the bunkhouse’s small shower— Nicole hadn’t _actually seen_ Waverly in the shower, but she’d seen her extensive line-up of animal friendly eco-shampoos, hair lotions, scalp meditation creams and who knows what else.

Nicole just wanted a sliver of shelf space for herself, one shampoo and a soap.

But no-o-o-o.

Every morning, Nicole would adjust things ever so slightly to make three inches of space and then the next day, like clockwork, she’d find her _two_ things gone.

Well, not exactly gone.

They’d be _outside of the shower_ , just out of reach— and never in the same place. It was mildly infuriating.

Did everyone have such embarrassingly petty private thoughts when flying alone?

She was used to a co-pilot and a squad full of voices in her head. Suddenly, the only voice in her ears was her own and she decided she might need to chill out a bit.

\- - -  2 M O N T H S  A G O - - -

_It was about 0500 hours when a text from Xavier Dolls interrupted Nicole’s morning workout._

**_XD:_ ** _You up?_

 **_NH:_ ** _Old habits die hard._

_The phone rang and Nicole answered immediately, rolling her eyes._

_“You interrupted my burpees. What’s up?”_

_“I heard you were ETS*”_

_“That’s right. My time is up. Onto smaller and less meaningful things.”_

_“Ouch Haught! I heard about you and Shae, but it’s not like you to wallow.”_

_“Mmm…It’s a temporary condition, I’m sure.”_

He was right. He didn’t know that her split from Shae was the least of her sorrows. She’d also just broken up with her crazy lifelong dream of becoming a Navy Seal. She had made it as far as she ever wanted with Search and Rescue. Her time in the service was over and it was time to find a new path. Currently, her life in two months was a mystery.  She had no plan. She though, this is where the sidewalk ends.

_“I might just have the cure you’re looking for. How would you like to spend three months in the middle of nowhere flying a DeHavilland Beaver?”_

_“I’m listening.”_

_“It turns out Search and Rescue is just one step away from being a wilderness tour guide. Any chance you know how to gut a fish?”_

_“Eight summers on the Campbell River doing just that.”_

_“Excellent.”_

_“You said, middle of nowhere, can you be more specific?”_

_“Kodiak Island, Alaska. Not too shabby, right? You could make serious money. I’ve earned enough to spend the last two winters skiing.”_

_“This is_ _all sounding too good to be true. Why are you calling me?”_

_“Turns out skiing and the X-Man are not a good mix.”_

_Nicole smiled, “Who would have thought?”_

_“Well, everyone I’ve told so far, apparently.”_

_Nicole laughed out loud._

_“It’s all laughs and jokes, until you’re halfway through the reconstruction of both your MCL and your ACL, so ha ha. Laugh all you want.”_

_“Oh, I’m sorry. Really sorry.”_

_“No, it’s okay. I’m getting better, but not fast enough, so I was hoping you could help a brother out.”_ That last phrase was an inside joke from their time together pulling people out of icy waters in the dark of night.

 _“I can always help a brother out.”_ Just like that, Nicole had a plan that would solve Dolls’ problems and move her through the summer.

_“I should warn you, this island has almost no women.”_

_“Actually, that sounds like a plus to me. Less risk of making bad choices.”_

Back in high school, Nicole had two goals. At the time, she had decided to focus on becoming a Navy Seal. The Coast Guard Air Training was as close as she ever got. Dolls had suddenly reminded her of the second, less scuba-intensive dream: buy a camper and visit Utah and Arizona.

After 30 minutes on the phone with Dolls, Nicole was picturing herself in a seaplane, soaring over snow-capped peaks. And then later in the fall, driving a little camper with the windows rolled down, an empty highway stretched in front of her..

Nicole would use the summer to forget all about the Seals and try flying solo. There would be no CO setting the agenda. No cloud of voices on the comm advising her, commenting on probabilities and contingencies.

In their place, she had all this goddamn scenery. The fresh air was enough to take you out of yourself and into the whole wide world around you.

 _Was it freeing to be such a small speck on the planet?_ Nicole rubbed her neck and tried to focus on the task at hand. All this self-reflection was enough to give a woman a headache and she had work to do.

In her bag, she had a small clipboard with two itineraries.

Party of 3: CRYDERMAN, FISH, & LEVI

_June 12: Kodiak to Lodge_

_June 13: Day trip, Lodge to Raspberry Island_

Party of 2: CHETRI, JETT

_June 12: Kodiak to Lodge_

_June 12: Lodge via Raspberry Island to Afognak_

_June 15: Afognak to Blackheart Cove, Spruce Island_

_June 19, Blackheart Cove, Spruce Island to Tugidak_

_June 23: Tugidak to Sitkinak_

_June 28: Sitkinak to Lodge via Kodiak_

_July 01: Lodge to Ushagat_

_July 05: Ushagat to Chowiet_

_July 08: Chowiet to Kiliktagik_

_…_

_…_

The second itinerary went on, all the way through August. Nicole knew the deal. They were researchers; booked through the summer. She’d be chauffeuring them up and down the Archipelago. Nicole had never heard of such a thing, but it sounded pretty cool.

She angled steeply into the landing just for kicks, and then levelled off before touching the lake surface. She met Shorty who helped her load supplies for the lodge and handed over the mailbag.

In no time, the two diametrically opposed parties of travelers arrived and loaded, packed tight like sardines.

The scientists seemed more than willing to carry luggage on their laps for the trip.

As they took off, Nicole turned to Jeremy, who was sitting right next to her, buried under a mess of gear, looking like he might throw-up. She knew the look of a nervous flyer. “I was talking to Gus and she said you were asking about the DeHavilland. You know, they say it’s the best small plane ever built.”

He answered nervously, “Yup, That is what they _say_.”

His companion Robin leaned over Nicole’s shoulder, “He spent about a week researching the heck out of it. So trust me, I think he knows more about this plane than most people.”

Nicole tried to contain a laugh, “Well, do tell. I’ve only spent a short time flying this specific plane but I’m already bowled over by her obvious charms. I’d love to know what you think.”

Jeremy moved slightly and the bags around him settled, “It had to be the interior oil reservoir.”

“Yup! One of a kind.” She leaned over and whispered, “But I’ve actually never seen anyone use it. Still, I have my back-up oil right here, just in case.” She tapped a narrow tin, neatly tucked into a pocket on the wall by her head.

His shoulders relaxed a bit. Nicole watched the route and then turned back to him.

“And then there’s the name, _I mean who doesn’t love a beaver.”_ She set her hand on the consoles, lightly tapping them.  

She winked at Jeremy, just to confirm her gaydar was working. He coughed and said, “Well, metaphorically speaking I don’t love beavers. If you know what I mean. But as ecosystem engineers, beaver dams are amazing.” He laughed nervously, “…but please go on.”

Nicole relaxed deep into her seat, and soaked in the perfection of the practical STOL. “This girl can take off with only 50 ft of runway. That’s shorter than a hockey rink.”  She looked over and showed her dimples in a warm smile, “Don’t worry cowboy, you’re in good hands.”

He smiled at her and then over to Robin, who whispered over her shoulder, “Thank you.”

__________________________

Once they arrived at the lodge, most of the gear stayed in the plane, so Nicole’s job was decidedly easier than usual. She dropped off the mail with Gus, who tracked her down two minutes later with a package addressed to Nicole Haught. On the return address was the name Xavier Dolls. Inside was a card and a camouflage eye mask with the words “F OFF” embroidered across the front.

 _Classic._ It was just like him, anticipating, swooping in before he’s asked and closing the deal. The multicam camo was a nice touch. A sleeping mask was just what she needed to block the tireless Alaskan summer sun at bedtime.

She tucked the gift under her pillow and then used her rare afternoon of free time for a short hike along the wash. There was a fisherman’s path that Doc used for Wolf Pack Adventures.

A few hours later, the sun was still out but fading. Nicole walked up to the lodge. She knew she’d missed the staff dinner. Things inside the main lodge were quiet, like the aftermath of an alien abduction. She grabbed a sandwich and then followed her ears to find a full-on beachfire sing-along in progress. Everything was just starting to go to shades of pink in the flattering light of an Arctic dusk. She zipped up her vest and decided to join the party.

Doc scooted to the side of a long trunk to make room for Nicole to sit down.

Directly across from her, Waverly sat in a faded grey Adirondack chair strumming the guitar. The group sang _Clementine_ with a mix of sincerity and exaggerated sorrowful humor.

When they reached the final chorus, there was whooping and hollering all around.

Wynonna passed a bottle of whiskey to her neighbor, and there were calls for another song.

Waverly blushed, but her fingers found the strings and she started in on a familiar melody. The group quickly quieted down. Waverly sang _Landslide_. Her eyes were downturned in the soft opening lines of the song. As the music built, Waverly raised her head seemingly unsure of which way to look. She settled her eyes on Wynonna who gave her a thumbs up and wink.

The chorus kicked in steady and a few hands started patting their legs in time with the music.

The song was almost too much for Nicole. She had listened to a lot of _Rumours_ growing up, and this song in particular.

She knew all the words.

God damn you, Waverly Earp.

She was singing the song in a way that made Nicole hear the words again for the first time. She’d heard _Landslide_ shortly after receiving her rejection letter from the Seals. She knew her quals and was not surprised, but it was the final blow. TKO.

 _Landslide_ had become her personal soundtrack of giving up and letting go.

Nicole was much too zen to feel the sadness of the chords carrying through the cool Arctic breeze. A pilot like herself, was trained to accept realities and control her emotions. She was not crying.

Nope.

It was just pollen on the wind irritating her eyes.

Nicole took a deep breath and stretched her shoulders hoping to take control of her emotional state. The sound of the water lapping on the shore was enough of a distraction to help. Three years later, the song was finally over. Nicole had successfully avoided a steep descent into her own self pity. She joined the applause. For a minute, there was eye contact with Waverly. Nicole worried that Waverly could see more than she wanted anyone to see.

Waverly played a few more numbers and the sky slowly turned a darker shade of pink, resisting a full blown sunset like a toddler at bedtime. As she finished, and asked for requests Cryderman called out, “ _Freebird!_ ” His friends laughed.

Jeremy followed up, loud and firm. “ _32 Flavors_.”

Waverly smiled, “We have an Ani fan in the house.” Nicole took note of Waverly’s selective hearing.

Jeremy bit his lip, “Guilty as charged.” He waved hi to Nicole enthusiastically

Waverly nodded and bit her lip. “‘Nonna, whiskey.” She took a deep swig and playfully plucked away.  She cycled through a few familiar riffs. Nicole knew the chords and stirred in her seat.

Waverly looked Jeremy’s way and then quickly at Nicole.

“It’s not _32 Flavors_ , but I think I’ve got a song that ma-a-a-y-be-e-e some folks here can relate to.”

As much as she held her fists tight in the preceding 30 seconds, Nicole was 100% unprepared for the effect on her of Waverly frickin’ Earp singing _Untouchable Face_.

Before Nicole could breathe in and fully brace herself, Waverly sang “I could do a lot of things and I do.”

Nicole could feel a wave of rapidly changing opinions about her uptight, spandex-clad roommate ripple from her head to her toes. Her eyes bugged out when Waverly made pointed eye contact. She looked _directly_ at Nicole on the first round of the chorus, saying, “Fuck you and your untouchable face.”

Nicole did her best to stay cool. She tugged at her collar, a little unsteady. To top off Waverly’s taunting looks, the goddamn song kept going.

Waverly winked at Nicole on the third improvised round of the chorus, which had most of the group singing along, whether they actually knew the words or not.

_Where can I hide?_

The song ended and Nicole was still alive.

Waverly stood up, thanking everyone for indulging her.

She explained that she was off to get s’mores supplies. Wynonna joined her, standing “center stage” with her arm firmly around her sister. “So the party continues! And just to make sure we’re all on the same page, I’m giving $20 stick-and-poke tattoos tonight and tonight only, so you might want to drink enough to numb your extremities. If you make it back alive from your so-called brave adventures, the same tat will cost you fifty.”

Nicole chuckled considering some guests and their advances. It was a good idea to numb their extremities. She was still adjusting to the power dynamic of working for tips. She’d thought she was ready for it, but there were parts of the whole deal that made her skin crawl.

__________________________

Waverly would have another late night. Nicole hoped that _maybe_ this time, her roommate _might_ be able to find her bunk without making a racket.

Like ships in the night, the two roommates ran on opposing schedules, rarely seeing each other

Most days Nicole was up at 4:30am. Whether it was bird-watching, fishing, hunting, or a golden hour photo shoot, she needed to be ready to go before sunrise.

It seemed like almost anything guests asked for sacrificed sleep in some form or another.

The morning after the beachfire, Nicole woke up before dawn, as usual. She found a spot in the common room to do her exercise routine. After an exactly timed 30 minutes and a single beep of her watch, she was in the bathroom— finally remembering to move her things into the shower before getting wet.

She was learning. Slowly but surely.

Just to even the score, she decided to line up Waverly’s bottles on the inside of the high window, behind the toilet.

Soon Nicole was back in the air, flying low and doing her best with five sleepy, hungover sardines.

Swain, Fish and Levi were sprawled out in the back. Gradually waking, the two younger dudes compared fish hook tattoos from the night before.

Midair, their bravado turned to their plans to bag an elk. Gus tried to steer them to a fishing trip instead, but they were stubborn. Nicole confirmed a plan to meet them back at the same spot at 8:30 that same night.

Once the gays had the plane to themselves, Nicole felt a huge weight off her shoulders. “Off to Afognak, boys.”

The trip was one amazing vista after another. Nicole decided she needed to get some music to help her fill the quiet time between flights.

At the end of the day, she flew back to Raspberry Island to pick up the Macho Misters. Before even touching down, she could see a most upsetting sight waiting for her. Instead of an elk, Levi was carrying Cryderman like a sack of meat. He was bleeding and in serious pain.

Nicole’s Search and Rescue training took over as she exited the plane. Shortly, they were back in the air. Nicole radio-ed the lodge, hoping for a signal and someone tuning in.

Cryderman had insisted that they should not go to the ER in Kodiak— something about being an elected official and preserving his image. Nicole knew the wound wasn’t life threatening, _not once she was done with him_. If some asshole wanted to feel the pain, she certainly wasn’t going to stop him.

He refused to answer any questions that might explain his injuries— nevermind that Nicole was about to save his reputation and career.

“Stack Bay, This is Haught. Do you copy?”

“Roger that, Haught Potato.”

It was Wynonna.

“I’ve got a messy medical emergency en route. Can you prep the dining room for some major first aid?”

“Ha! I’m practically a trained Nurse’s Aid!”

“Excellent.” She turned back to her passengers. “”We’ll be touching down in less than 15 minutes, so hang tight.”

Wynonna, Waverly, Doc and Gus were all lined up on the dock when they landed.

Wynonna’s first words to her patient broke the tension, “So I guess this means our spear fishing trip is off?!”

Doc and Nicole transported Cyderman to the lodge. In the distance, Nicole could hear Wynonna’s voice, “If you wanna change to parasailing, that’s totally an option.”

Once Cryderman was settled in the makeshift ER, Nicole went back to grab her own medical kit. The dock was empty, with Waverly and Wynonna already stoking a beachfire for Cryderman’s buddies.

Unbelievable.

Nicole hadn’t stitched up a wound in a while, but she assured the judge that the scars would be very manly. He was too doped up to really respond, beyond a thumbs up.

When the bandages and stitches were complete, Doc helped the old man back to his cabin, leaving Nicole to clean up. She gathered up the scraps strewn around the large room, crawling on her hands and knees. She heard someone come in. Seconds later, Waverly was right there, rag in hand, helping wipe up the mess.

Her first words to Nicole were, “You were pretty great out there. Wait a second!” Her expression turned sour, “Is that a Canuck’s hat?”

Nicole paused, not sure what to say. Then she saw Waverly’s cleverly tailored Calgary Flames t-shirt, twisted in a knot between her ribs. The teams had a heated rivalry that Nicole took far too seriously. It was surprising that Waverly was a hockey fan, but not hard to believe that she supported the worst team ever in the history of the NHL. Ugh.

Nicole shook her head in disbelief. “I guess I just prefer a team that is faster, tougher and better at scoring goals. Call me biased.”

Waverly huffed, “‘You wait and see. The ‘Real Deal’ James Neal will be a game changer. The team’s got young blood and is ready to rumble.” Waverly stood, throwing a handful of trash away and then carrying the bin over to Nicole, who was still finding bits of gauze everywhere. “Any chance you wanna make another bet and win back your beer foam money?”

“Oh no you don’t. I’ve learned my lesson. I’m not making bets with any of you.”

“Any of who?”

“The lodge staff. You, Doc, Wynonna. You’re all…” Nicole paused, not wanting to be rude.

Waverly tried completing her sentence, “…too charming for words?”

Nicole nodded, “Yes, exactly what I was going to say. How’d you know?”

“I must be a mind-reader.” And just like that, Waverly was out the door, headed back to the beach with her guitar in her hand.

 

__________________________

 

 

Nicole dove back into work as the summer schedule ramped up. She made multiple trips between the lodge and Kodiak. She slogged kayaks and flew around sheltered bays dotted with bald eagles. She cooked fishes over the fires and sculpted neon orange animals out of Powerbait to entertain a small child. All the while, her thoughts kept returning to Waverly at the beach fire. Despite herself, she wished their paths crossed more often.  And finally Nicole’s shampoo had a reserved spot in the shower. This made her morning routine a much happier time of day.

One morning, much to Nicole’s dismay, Waverly was up early. She came running out on the dock. She was wearing her Flames t-shirt again and had a red check towel wrapped around something.

Waverly explained that it was her famous banana bread— more specifically, a _vegan_ buckwheat banana bread surprise.

For Robin and Jeremy.

Before Waverly would release the loaf, Nicole had to make a solemn oath not to eat any of the bread herself.

The whole cockpit smelled like her grandma’s kitchen. Twenty minutes later, Nicole was feeling very hungry. And a little jealous.

She tried not to think about it.

It was another beautiful day. Up ahead Nicole could literally see the much leaned upon silver lining. It was halo-ing the clouds on the Western horizon as she angled the DeHavilland into Afognak to pick up Jeremy and Robin for a trip to Spruce Island.

Jeremy and Robin gushed about the bread, practically begging Nicole to have a bite.

“Can’t. Waverly made me swear an oath. I’m not even allowed to touch her loaf.” A puff of air signaled Nicole’s dismissal of the whole _“solemnly swearing.”_

“Come on, she’ll never know.” Robin tried to tempt her, holding a slice right under her nose.

Nicole shook her head explaining her decision, “But I’ll know. I’m a woman of my word.”

Robin was aghast, “Even when it means no banana bread.”

Nicole correct him. “ _Vegan_ banana bread.”

Jeremy nodded and sighed fondly, “How is Waverly anyway?”

“Um…Waverly is… fine I guess. We don’t see each other much.”

Jeremy and Robin looked at each other curiously.

“What?!?”

“Why not?”

“We are on opposite schedules. I’m awake when she’s asleep. Besides, we just don’t have that much in common.”

Jeremy watched Nicole’s expression and turned to Robin. They’re both shook their heads and shrugged in disbelief.

“Also, she kinda hates me.”

Jeremy nodded, considering the possibility. “That doesn’t sound at all like Waverly.

Robin turned to Nicole with one eyebrow raised, “Maybe you got off on the wrong foot.”  He leaned in close.

Jeremy added, “Maybe you should give her another chance. _Maybe_ then we won’t be the only ones getting banana bread.”  He winked at her.

Nicole focused on the gauges in front of her to buy time while trying to decipher this mysterious enthusiasm for her and Waverly Earp. _Did they see me at the beachfire?_

Jeremy cleared his throat and elbowed Robin lightly in the ribs, “Why would we assume you would be friends with Waverly? You just met. Turns out Waverly, Robin and I have a few friends in common. Small world, right? And we’re all vegan.  We _even_ know some of the same people.” Robin ribbed Jeremy trying to stop the rambling, but he failed. Jeremy went on,  “So, now Waverly and I, we’re bonded. Even though we did just hang out with her that ONE night I feel like I _really know her_.” Jeremy paused suddenly noticing Robin’s objections. He rolled back a bit, “Did I just slip into field-work crazy-talk? A few days on a small island with no cell service, electricity or Drag Race will do that to you. Sometimes we forget how things work in the real world. Things like time, personal space and normal human interactions.”

Robin grabbed Jeremy’s knee. “Exactly. Forgive us for being cuckoo.” He looked at Jeremy cautiously as he addressed their pilot. “All we ask, Nicole, is you give us some anchor to the real world… Maybe an update on Lodge gossip next time we see you. Please! I can’t stand another conversation about commensalism and mycorrhizal fungi.”

Jeremy looked hurt and interrupted. “Or a Doc Holiday report. What’s that old cad gotten up to in the last week?” As he spoke, Robin glared half seriously and half ironically at the new crush rearing its head.

Jeremy saw the scolding look and changed direction. “Maybe you and Waverly have more in common than you realize.”

Nicole was confused, “Um, yeah maybe. I’ll try. Right now I’m just taking it one day at a time.”

After dropping the guys off, Nicole had a long flight back to Stack Bay. Robin had snuck a slice of banana bread onto the co-pilot’s seat. She broke her promise and nibbled at it as she rose into the sky. As she went, she considered the one and only Waverly Earp. The woman worked hard and was up late, tending bar and cleaning up after the fun.

She paused.

They were just so different.

The view was breathtaking. She let herself bathe in the beauty before her. She could literally see a pair of whales in the clear blue waters below.

Damn it, the banana bread was so good.

Really good.

Maybe it would benefit her Karma to forgive Waverly for the stupid bet and moving her shampoo. From up here, it all seemed petty.

She ate the last bite of bread, then remembered that it hadn’t even been given to Nicole.

No-o-o-o, Waverly Earp’s vegan buckwheat banana loaf was forbidden.

Nicole found herself shaking her head no. She was torn. She didn’t want to lose any more tips to that sneaky little spitfire.

On the other hand, what would be the point in holding a grudge for the rest of the summer? Maybe there was a common ground they could find. Jeremy and Robin seemed to think so. Those two had a probe that measured soil-moisture after all. Maybe their advice had merit. Keep two feet on the ground and figure out the lay of the land before jumping to conclusions.

 

__________________________

 

**Waverly’s Stack Bay Buckwheat Banana Bread**

1 ¼ cups sugar

½ cup coconut oil

2 eggs substitutes

1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)

½ cup creek water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups wheat flour

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cup walnuts or hazelnuts

350•F for 70m+ until knife comes out clean. Cool for 10m before removing from pan

  
  



	3. As If She Wasn't a Totally Capable Human Being

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the days get longer, things at the lodge get a little hectic and crowded— including the walk-in fridge and a cute new roommate in the bunkhouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to LuckyWantstoKnow for Beta-ing the heck out of this. And provided essential wardrobe feedback for Nicole.

Waverly always enjoyed the solstice. What’s not to like about the longest day of the year?

But Wynonna had her a little worried. She’d said over and over again that the summer solstice was their biggest week of the whole year. Waverly had seen the schedules, the updates, and updated updates with new creative ways to add another guest or two here and there.

She understood it would mean doing things a little out of the ordinary.

So, she shouldn’t have been surprised when she found herself working with Nicole, moving groceries from the pilot’s beloved, stinky airplane into the pantry and walk-in cooler at the lodge.

Nicole rolled another dolly into the glorified closet and could see Waverly struggling to stock the top shelf. “I’m happy to help.” The pilot leaned on the dolly. She took off her aviators and hung them on the neck of a featherweight grey tee. With a faded, olive green army vest, she was the perfect picture on an Alaskan bush pilot.

Waverly resisted the offer of help and the pile of old fashioned chivalry, “No. I’m. Fine.” Nicole put a hand on her hip and pushed her vest to one side. Waverly tried not to let her gaze linger on the newly visible graphic on Nicole chest. In plain white letters it said, “ambidextrous.”

Waverly quickly diverted her eyes. She tried to tame her imagination from going all sorts of places. So, instead of acknowledging Nicole’s offer of help, Waverly leaned up on her tippy toes and inched a #10 can of tomatoes into place. “I think you’ll find… That… I’m. A. Totally capable human being.” With each word, she nudged the can along.

Nicole casually slid the can of tomatoes the last eighteen inches into place, “You might be. But…. why don’t you just hand them up to me? We can finish this up in no time. Then get back to what we both do best.”

Waverly conceded. “Fine.” She ripped open a second case and went back to work. It was faster.

Nicole heaved Waverly’s 50lb bag of garbanzo beans to a neat corner, making room for the haul. They made a good team, stacking cans and sorting the open cases to the front.

Despite her healthy rivalry with Nicole, Waverly’s friendly nature kicked in on auto pilot, “You know we’ve been sleeping in the same room for almost a month and I hardly know you. You’re mostly just little beeps, chirps and peeps  from that gigantic watch of yours. Tell me something about yourself.” _That isn’t wrong._

“Not much to tell. You know I’m a pilot. You found out about Search and Rescue when Cryderman got hurt. What else is there to know?.”

“Well, I’m a Virgo, which you might have guessed with my perfectionism, cleanliness, and highly analytical nature.”

Nicole smirked, searching for a response. “I’m learning so much already. Although… I don’t see how anyone so analytical could care about astrology.”

Waverly had a quick reply, “Let me guess: Capricorn.”

Nicole had no words, but Waverly could tell by the way she rolled her eyes that she’d hit paydirt. She did a little dance, celebrating her ability to tongue-tie the cocky carnivore.

“Oh brother. I’m never going to hear the end of this. Am I?”

“It’s not such a bad thing. Capricorns are known for their practical approach. They apply their intelligence and logic before making any decisions. Sound familiar? Are you reluctant to dive in to new things?”

Nicole’s just rolled her eyes. “I guess. It doesn’t hurt to be a goat, right.”

“Huh?”

“G. O. A. T. Greatest of all time.”

“You would think that. Come help me the walk-in, Haught.” The lodge’s walk-in fridge was decidedly smaller than the pantry. As they made their way into the space Waverly added, “That is, if there’s room for you, me and your ego? Doc says there’s only room for two in here.”  
Nicole answered, “I can get this on my own, if you’d rather. But you’re so little, it’s more like one and three-quarters.”

“Hey, I’m not THAT small.”

Waverly caught herself. That comment came off suspiciously like flirting.

The pair set to loading the walk-in, quickly shuffling things around the make more room.

The door swung open. They could hear Doc, talking to someone outside. _“Hold your horses. I will be there as soon as I can. Just let me situate the meats in the fridge.”_ He moved quickly, completely unaware that the space was occupied.

Before they knew what happened, a wall of heavy boxes came sliding in, pushing Nicole up against Waverly. Neither one had any room to maneuver.

Waverly tried desperately not to notice Nicole’s  ** _everything_**. The redhead’s hands were on either side of her head, preserving a hair’s breadth of personal space.

Seconds later, Nicole gave the stack of boxes a push with her tush, “I think I can…”

Nicole inched away, breaking contact, “…maybe just a little, oomph.” She quickly came close again– for a split second and then thrust her weight against the wall of boxes blocking them in. She successfully made room to shimmy out to the side and started laughing. “We should really tell Doc to be more careful with where he puts his meat.”

Waverly tried not to laugh, but gave up as Nicole continued the joke..

“Here he comes, just shoving it in here. Don’t mind me!”

It was ridiculous.

Behind Nicole’s head, Waverly could see the words printed on the box, “Come on Nicole, I thought you of all people would be gung-ho about a Western Style Sausage.”

Nicole bit her lip, “Ouch! All this time, I thought it was obvious to you and everyone else that I have no interest in sausage, no matter what the style.” She held Waverly’s glance a little longer than a friend might. But then just as quickly she was back to teasing Waverly. “But, I will gladly move it out of your way, so you don’t have to touch it. You know, because of the vegan thing and all.”

“Thanks. Are you sure you’re not too busy to stay and help?”

“Don’t worry Waverly, I’ve got this.” Nicole settled into her work. Waverly watched her heave the boxes onto the shelves, until she realized she had her own unloading to do. She finished quickly and thanked Nicole one more time before going to check on the side-work still waiting for her.

 

___________________

 

Tensions between the roommates settled down a bit after that. Every morning Nicole woke up before the crack of dawn and every morning Waverly pretended to be asleep. Besides the little owl hoot of her alarm, Nicole was as quiet as a mouse through her quick change into work-out gear.

The next time Waverly saw Nicole, she was fully dressed and emerging from the shower with military precision. Waverly started to notice little habits Nicole had that cued up each thing she did for the day ahead. Each action took as little time as possible. No wonder she barely ever saw her.

More than once, she had been surprised to find Nicole taking a power nap and then less than 15 minutes later she’d see her loading a group up for a kayaking trip. She worked hard and seemed to be all business.

After their time in the walk-in, Waverly’s curiosity was piqued. A few days later, she decided to sneak out and see what Nicole did after waking up so early.

Waverly tip-toed out of the bunkhouse, along the creaking walkway to find Nicole working out in the common room. She had on a pair of headphones and seemed unaware of Waverly watching her work up a sweat. Who knew there were so many different kinds of push-ups?

Waverly remembered the feeling of Nicole’s arms and abs from the walk-in. In her memory, there was moment where she was wedged between icy cold shelves on her back and Nicole’s warm body at her front. The whole moment was colored with the faint smell of vanilla donuts and this unexpected tenderness. Despite the cool morning air, Waverly fanned her t-shirt to cool herself off as she made her way back to the bunkhouse. _She’s hot alright._

 

___________________

 

One way to free up the lodge’s beds during the Solstice boom was to use Nicole’s overnight fishing trips as an overflow valve.  After a few days of intense preparations, Nicole was out most of the week.

Waverly had the room all to herself for late nights and long, sleepy mornings. Her alarm went off at 7:30 and she couldn’t have been happier. A good night’s rest was a joy she savored.

While rounding up breakfast dishes, Waverly spotted her bird-watching guest, Skye Gardner. She was a little younger than usual. The small girl’s dad was out target shooting with Wynonna. And her mom and aunts were out on a hike with Doc.

With a quick lesson on birding basics, off they went.

Waverly wrinkled her nose with a smile. “Let’s just see how many different kinds of ducks we can find.” The enthusiasm was infectious. Her little companion wrinkled her nose right back and laughed.

The bay was foggy and quiet. If you held still long enough, the sounds of the birds rose above the silence. They walked slowly to the shallows and then around to the edge of the bay. From there, Waverly and Skye counted eagles on the shoreline. The birds were perched high above in pine trees framing the bay.

Suddenly a shot rang out and then echoed.

Skye looked up to Waverly, who answered the unspoken question, “Sounds like your dad and _my sister_ are starting their target practice, just in time to spoil _our golden hour of bird watching._ How about we skip some rocks?”

Skye said, “Carter says I’m no good at skipping.”

Waverly grabbed a rock and said, “Oh yeah. He thinks he knows it all. We’ll show him a whole new kind of skipping.” She angled her body low and tossed the rock with expertise, getting five good hops across the water’s glassy surface.

“Ooo-oooo. That’s cool.”  
“Let me show you how it’s done.”

The pair skipped rocks, not fully aware of the sun rising in the sky and the fog fading away.

They ate some cookies and walked back slowly to the lodge when Skye spotted some movement on the far side of the bay. She pointed out, directing Waverly, “There, under the big tree lying on the beach.”

Waverly grabbed her binoculars and Skye followed suit. Waverly said, “Excellent eye. What we have there is a family of muskrats.”  
“They’re so cute.”

The larger one came out on top of the log with a bunch of grass in its mouth. Right behind him, came a second much smaller, little ball of fur, almost falling off the curving surface of the log. Skye and Waverly stood in silence, enjoying the behavior of the little family. Skye leaned against Waverly. The warmth went right to Waverly’s heart.

What a perfect morning.

Then suddenly there was a sound of another shot and the little muskrats were blown away. In the same instant, Waverly felt a shock strike through Skye and then tears followed. They had seen the explosion of red, breaking the little muskrat body into pieces.

Waverly held Skye close and quickly looked for where the shot was coming from.

In the distance, she could see Tucker Gardner and Wynonna.

Wynonna grabbed the rifle and smacked the guy hard, almost knocking him down.

Waverly leaned down to wipe tears from Skye’s face. She gave her a big bear hug and wondered what to do next.

This was not covered in the training.

Eventually, the crying stopped.

Waverly looked across the bay. An eagle had already found the meat and was tearing the dead muskrat apart.

And then, like a miracle, she saw a little movement under the edge of the log. She grabbed her binoculars to get a better look. “The baby’s still alive!”

Skye leapt for joy. “We have to go help it.”

 

So, that was how Waverly found an orphaned muskrat and decided to nurse it back to health.

 

Against the advice of anyone who knew what she was doing, she and Skye adopted the little bugger. Their relationship blossomed quickly with frequent trips to his little box, to change the gauze bandages wrapped around his body and injured eye.

Skye gave him water with an eye-dropper.

And then gradually, the littlest pieces of food.

His injuries were healing and he was hardly any trouble at all. He slept in a shoebox, hidden in the bunkhouse.

Doc warned her against the effort, “Despite the unfortunate circumstances, the creature you have there is a known cannibal.”

“Not our little guy.. Never!”

As he got better, Skye teased the scruffy rodent about his big, chubby cheeks. She named him Colonel Mustard and thought he was just about the cutest thing ever.

When it was time for the Gardners to go home, Waverly made a promise to take care of him and make sure he was safe.

Even just 24 hours later, Waverly could tell Mustard was getting better. She knew she would have to say goodbye, soon. Most of his wounds were healed. Despite her affections, he was a wild animal.

But for now, he still needed her.

He had one eye that barely worked. If she let him go before it was fully healed, she knew that a bald eagle would swoop down and gobble him up. Or even another hungry Muskrat might. Doc was right. They were a ferocious lot.

 

When Nicole was back for a night at the bunkhouse later that week, she was exhausted.  

Waverly checked on Mustard but as soon as she heard Nicole’s footsteps, she quickly hid his box under the bed.

She was embarrassed and didn’t want Nicole to think she was some hippie dippy ditz. She knew she would need a little time to explain. Rather than just pouncing on her suddenly, Waverly wanted a plan to introduce their new roommate. Until then, she panicked and acted like nothing was going on.

After a short shower, Nicole came in decked out in sweats and a tank top. Unceremoniously, she announced that she had only been more tired _once_ in her life than she was right at that moment. She melted into her mattress like cake batter and wrapped the blanket up to her chin. Waverly wanted to know more.

To ask when.

When had she been more tired?— but Nicole was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Waverly didn’t want to wake her up for anything— not a nosy question, a nervous compliment or an introduction to Colonel Mustard.

There would be plenty of time later to tell her about their itty bitty third roommate.

Unfortunately for all of them, Mustard woke up in the night with a sudden and ferocious burst of energy.

Waverly heard scratching and knew right away something was wrong. As her eyes adjusted to the moonlight coming through the window, she could see her little muskrat making a mess of Nicole’s things.

Nicole was sleeping like a baby, blissfully unaware behind her F OFF eye mask.

Waverly quickly got out of bed and leaned down to pick up the little fella.

In Mustard’s mouth, he held tight to a pair of Bose headphones with half the foam eaten off.

“Shit.”

Waverly whispered, “Bad Mustard. Very bad.”

“Shit, shit, shit.” Waverly put the muskrat back into his shoebox and set a stack of books on top to keep the lid in place. It was too dark to see that he’d actually chewed a hole in the side.

Waverly woke up a few hours later to the sound of Nicole screaming. “Ahhhhhhh! Watch out Waverly. There was something sleeping in my clothes! I think it ran under your bed.”

“Ah fudgenuggets! I thought I’d solved that problem in the middle of the night.” She rolled out of bed and looked under her bunk, “Is that you, Mustard? Are you feeling better?”

Nicole interrupted her, “Wait a second. What is going on? Is that thing your pet!?” She shook her head repeatedly, “No, no, no…” And then she saw her headphones, totally ruined.

Waverly popped up to standing, “I’m really sorry about your headphones. I’ll replace them as soon as I can. I’ll use the cash you gave me. I feel really bad, but I can explain.”

Waverly hoped that Nicole could tell she was sincere. She saw her roommate, visibly working to control her temper with deep breaths.  She sat down to give her space to cool off.

Waverly had her head in her hands, “Curtis told me it was a bad idea to rescue a muskrat. Gus has been giving me a disapproving look for four days. I should have listened to them.” She threw her body back on her bed, deflated.

“A muskrat! Jesus Christ.” Nicole looked up at the ceiling, “Emphasis on RAT.”

Waverly shook her head at the mistake. “They’re a part of this ecosystem. Not some invasive parasite.”

Nicole looked at her destroyed headphones and then at her watch. “I don’t have the energy to split hairs right now. Either way, that thing doesn’t belong here.” She pushed her hair from her face and pursed her lips. “I’ve gotta go. Waverly, I have another overnight on Raspberry Island tonight. I’m really slammed and exhausted. Look, I’m sorry I lost my temper, but when I come back— do you think that your friend could find a new home? Far away from my bed?”

“Yeah. I can do that.”

Nicole grabbed her clothes from the floor and walked out. That was the last Waverly saw of her for the next few days.

 

___________________

 

After Stack Bay Lodge’s summer solstice _Brunch To End All Brunches_ , the lodge staff had a little break. Gus had kindly planned an all-camp boat trip for the afternoon.

Waverly wanted to join the whale watching, but there were piles of dishes calling her name.

She and the others stood on the dock, watching guests head out with binoculars in tow.

Wynonna was stopped by a couple who had spent the last two days bickering.

“Excuse us, but we heard from Doc that you had some experience with couples counseling.”

Waverly eavesdropped, always trying to figure out where her sister might finally draw the line.

Wynonna put her arm around the woman’s shoulder, “Now, _I don’t want to mislead you about my qualifications_ , but I have found that a little sparring toe-to-toe is a good way to let off steam.” Wynonna dropped into a boxing stance and punched at the air, “You wouldn’t be the first couple to benefit from my _Tough Love Intensives.”_

Waverly could see the woman nodding her head.

Wynonna continued, “You might have something inside there.” She pointed at the woman’s heart. “…bottled up, just waiting to get out!” Gradually, she ushered them to the boat, all the while buttering them up for a private session for the last 10 feet of the walk.

Minutes laters, the crew waved and cheered as Curtis captained the guests out to the bay and beyond.

Wynonna leaned over to her sister, “Suckers!”  
“How much are you charging that couple for your so-called counseling?”

“One-twenty. Same price as leather working or target shooting. You want in? I can suggested a couples yoga session afterwards.”

Waverly shook her head, “No. I have other work to do. Mustard, the world’s cutest muskrat has got to find a new home.” The group walked back up the dock to the lodge. “There was a problem last night with the Colonel and Nicole.”

“Oh no, not more roommate drama. What is it this time?”

“Well first of all, I told you; Nicole wakes up at like 4:00 AM to do push-ups. Last night, like always, she had all her things lined up on the floor under her bed— _not in drawers_ like a normal person— and then woke up screaming.”

Wynonna saw the conversation taking a detour. “And this relates to the rodent rescue mission how?”

Waverly conceded the point, “Well, if she hadn’t left her high-tech headphones out, just waiting to be chewed on, and her clothes, smelling like vanilla donuts— it wouldn’t have happened.”

Doc and Wynonna shared a confused look.

She stopped. “Now, technically this _may be_ my fault. Like Curtis said, muskrats are wild animals. Doc here told me they have a lot of questionable eating habits. All the research said _DON’T ADOPT A MUSKRAT_ , but I promised Skye and…I hate breaking a promise and …” She gritted her teeth, “I have to fix the problem. I didn’t have chance to explain. Nicole just left her things out, making a huge mess!. Now she’s all mad and wants him gone immediately. ”

The group rounded their way into the kitchen, grabbing rubber gloves and aprons as they continued their conversation.

Wynonna shrugged, “That little rat will be fine. What about you?”

Waverly set a rack on the counter, “This whole summer, it’s just WAY MORE intense than I thought. I just want a chance to breathe. And then she’s always there, just getting in the way and ruining things.”

“Wait, who?” 

“Nicole, duh… _Are you paying attention to anything I’m saying?_ ”

Doc said, “What seems to be the contention with you and Miss Haught?”

“Where do I start? She’s too neat. She lines up my shampoos like…” Waverly gritted her teeth, “Like …like little soldiers.

Wynonna saw where this was going and probed deeper, “Last week, Haught Potato was too messy. Or was it too noisy? I can’t even remember. Every time we talk you have something new to complain about.”

Doc loaded glasses into the rack and looked over to Waverly, “I recall a very spirited discussion of a disreputable hockey team. What were they called again, the Popcorns? Capricorns? Unicorns? I can’t rightly recall.”

Wynonna tried to contain her smile. “Really, Waverly?”

Waverly tried to explain, “It’s not just that she roots for the Canucks. There are a lot of things _, more important things,_ and they add up.”  She cleared her throat to explain. “She doesn’t respect my core beliefs.”

“Do you mean astrology?”

“No, well— yes. But also, my veganism.”

Wynonna laughed out loud, “Who does?!”

Waverly pouted.

Wynonna quickly changed her tune, “I meant to say, _How dare she!”_ Wynonna grabbed a wooden spoon like a sword raised to defend her sister’s honor. Then she paused, definitively looking her sister in the eye, “For someone who doesn’t give a damn, you can’t stop talking about her.”

Waverly did not want to talk about it, “Whatever…” The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

Doc loaded the tray into the washer.  Before leaving he came over to Waverly, gently giving her his opinion. “On the subject of Nicole, I apologize for the unsolicited interrogation. It’s _just_ not like you to be so heartless—”

Waverly sighed, “Yeah, and...?”

“And the rest is up to you. It’s your life; it’s not some abstract idea. It’s all the things you do every day. I know you have a heart two times the size of a normal human. Just don’t let it weigh you down.”

Waverly pressed the red start button on the dishwasher with a satisfying sound. “Thanks Doc. I’ll think about it.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For You Consideration as Head Canon:  
> Nicole is ambidextrous. Talk amongst yourselves.


	4. As If a Neon Sign Could Really Rub Elbows with the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole has a close encounter of the furred kind and writes a note to St. Peter.
> 
> Waverly bakes up storm while the weather gets gloomy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks with piles of virtual chocolate croissants and cappuccinos galore to LuckyWantsToKnow for Beta-ing.
> 
> Song note: Tangled Up in Blue, covered by the Indigo Girls  
> https://open.spotify.com/track/1BAa8ztC3sFEGWVwyCPZnk?si=JRnInW7IR2-pzhsUUsxfjw

 

____________________________

 

After finding her headphones shredded and her clothes littered with foamy black crumbs, Nicole decided not do her usual work-out in the common room. She had 20 minutes to herself.

She decided to run.

She headed to the beach and bee-lined away from the lodge. The terrain was rough and the air thick as split pea soup. It was a relief to hit the wood planks of the small bridge and the dirt path along the creek.

When all of sudden she saw a bear.

It was a very large bear. She said, as calmly as possible, “Hey bear.”

It was much closer than she would have liked.

And, again, bigger

The bear seemed less surprised to see Nicole. Its dusky brown fur was coated with dew that looked like powdered sugar in the morning light. It stamped both front feet on the ground and steam billowed from its mouth and nose.

She repeated the phrase, “Hey bear.”

In front of the bear, Nicole spotted a pair of cubs, no. One, _two_ ,  **three!**

Three baby bears stumbled in the grass and then moved closer to their mother. Her watch chirped like a cricket, and four pairs of eyes looked her way.

She swallowed hard and thought _Hey bear, bear,_ pursing her lips and waiting for something good to happen, but unable to actually speak words out loud.

She took a deep breath, looked big and stayed put. The massive bear slowly looked away and then made her way along the far edge of the meadow and into the trees with the cubs close at her heels.

Nicole’s heart was pounding in her throat. She dropped her arms down, stood still, and shook her head in disbelief. She was outnumbered by wild animals around every corner. She was definitely in Alaska.

 

_Dear Saint Peter._

_A rat ate my headphones, so I yelled at Waverly and ran into the woods like a crazy person and was eaten by a bear._

_The End._

 

Once the coast was clear, she headed back to the lodge at a brisk pace. Despite the bear and muskrat, there was work to do, supplies to be loaded, kayaks to be paddled and fish to be caught.

She didn’t want to keep anyone waiting.

After a military shower, she followed her usual path around the edges of the lodge, finding each stack of things exactly where she’d laid it out. Ice chest stocked and ready. Fresh tents ready to go, thank you very much Doc. By the end of her walk, her cart was fully loaded. Luckily, there was no sign of the mama bear wandering around the lodge. She checked her watch and was glad to see she was right on time.

Moments later, Nicole was out on the dock. She saw the first of her campers waiting for her and waved.

 

________]]_[[________

 

Nicole loaded everyone into the plane and warmed up the engine. All the while, she thought about that bear and her cubs. She knew not to venture willy-nilly into the wilds, _especially at dusk or dawn._ That goddamn muskrat and her own frickin’ temper had gotten the best of her.

 

While her brain relived the bear, her mouth was on autopilot with a little Texas twang. “Alright guys and gals, are you ready for a real life Alaskan adventure? Maybe kayak with some whales?”

Her passengers nodded enthusiastically. Someone whooped. Nicole slapped her leg hard, “Florence. Mattie. I should tell you that I am 100% ready to catch some fish and cook ‘em on the fire. I even brought my harmonica. Now, no promises that I’m any good at playing it, but I do have some Robert Service poems memorized to help pass the time around the campfire.”

She checked her magnetos and warned her passengers that they might want to cover their ears for the take-off. “This plane is loud, but she’s a strong as an ox and I wouldn’t want her any other way.” She set her hand on the center tank and glided out into the bay for takeoff. As they took flight, she looked below at the field of cotton grass with a fading memory of the bear casually scaring the living daylights out of her.

Like water off a duck’s back.

 

________]]_[[________

 

Late June continued on as busy as ever. A couple of days later, Nicole was back in the bunkhouse safe and sound. She found herself looking forward to coming back to the lodge. She had eaten salmon cooked over a campfire every night for the past week. It felt nice to have a salad and sleep in a real bed. The sun was still out. Nicole checked under the beds for shoeboxes, and then put her blindfold over her eyes. In the distance, she could hear someone practicing a guitar and figured it must be Waverly. The sounds of _Tangled Up in Blue_ started and stopped, while Nicole drifted slowly off to sleep.

The next morning was a refreshing break from relentless tour guide routine.

Nicole had a stop in Kodiak and then an island hop with Jeremy and Robin.  As she filled her thermos in the lodge kitchen, Waverly stopped her with a basket in hand.

She said, “The big blue bundle is for the boys. And the little red one is for you. Part of my apology.”

“Well, Thanks.”

“It was dumb and out of character for me to adopt a muskrat and I’m sorry. So, maybe, possibly, we can turn over a new leaf?”

Nicole eyes crinkled in a smile, “How could I say no to that?” She took the gifts carefully in her hands. “If I’d known this was the way to your baked goods, I might have tried earning an apology sooner.  Apology accepted.” She took in the smell of the warm bread and looked up. “Unless holding out a little longer is the way to keep the goodies coming my way…”

“Don’t press your luck, Haught. You are a Canucks fan after all.”

Nicole walked to her plane with an extra swagger in her step.

Ten minutes later, the smell of the warm bread filled the cockpit, drowning out the smell of oil and gasoline. Guests found their seats and Nicole took off for Kodiak. The morning drizzle grew into a steady rain that made everyone on board grateful for the days of sunshine that preceded it. Once she was back on the ground, Nicole hugged her campers with a warm farewell and promised to pass on all the thanks to the rest of the lodge. She had a long list of errands in town, including the mail, groceries and hardware supplies for the lodge. She considered the vibe of the booming metropolis while she ate lunch and tapped into free WiFi. Outside the window, she saw signs tacked onto power poles, paved roads and gutters full of rain. Civilization was overrated.

A couple of hours later she was back in the air and off to the wilderness.  First stop, the glorified sandbar known as Tugidak to pick up Jeremy and Robin. They looked a little wind-worn, waiting in the rain with their hoods up and their arms crossed, but Jeremy’s familiar, nervous smile was still there.

“You guys have the whole plane all to yourselves for this leg of the trip, so enjoy.”

Robin placed a steady hand on Jeremy’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring nod, “Just a quick up and down. We got this.”

Jeremy nodded back. As he finished buckling and waited for the engine to warm, he turned to Nicole.”I see we’re not the only ones with some banana bread this time. So, how’s Waverly?”

Nicole tried not to roll her eyes. “Oh my gosh, you guys are like a broken record.” She paused remembering the beachfire. “She’s good. I will admit; the fireside sing-alongs are a little less fun without you two.”

They laughed.

She went on, “I think Waverly is having fun, making great tips.” With a puff of air, Nicole added, “And inviting pesky muskrats into our cabin.”

“Oh my! _Ondatra zibethicus_.” Robin cringed.

“On these islands, those ornery guys are enemy number two.”

Nicole was curious, “Only number two. Who gets the number one spot?”

“Duh, mosquitoes!”

Robin held up a finger, “I beg to differ. Let’s not forget the bears.” He eyes were large for emphasis.

Nicole nodded.

Jeremy laughed, “No, I would never forget the bears.” Then turning to Nicole, “Those itty bitty blood suckers are way worse than any mammal: bears, muskrats, moose.”  
Robin interjected, “I disagree. Give me ten mosquitos over a bear any day. A hundred! I can’t help it if my blood just isn’t as delicious as yours.” Robin and Jeremy smiled at each other in synch like dance partners.

Robin turned to Nicole, “Enough about Hematophagy. Right? What about lodge romance? Any new couples? Random hook-ups?” Jeremy tried to shush Robin but he went on, “My better half and I have a bet.”

Nicole played along, “You know about Doc and Wynonna right?”  
“Old news. Hit snooze.”

“Well, it’s not a big place guys, so I don’t know what to tell you. There are a limited number of pairings possible.”

Robin teased, “Nicole, I’m counting on you. The next time we talk, maybe…”

Nicole shook her head, “Oh no. I see where this is headed.”

“Why not? A single, healthy bush pilot like yourself must have to shoo them away with a softball bat.”

She scoffed, “No! Please…”

Jeremy just looked, waiting silently for an explanation.

She said “I’m trying to clear my head this summer. No distractions.”

“Distractions from what?”

“My life. I need to get organized and redefine my priorities before I get involved with any other humans.”

Robin looked disappointed. “My dear, sweet lesbian, Nicole. I’m not asking you to get married.”

Jeremy objected, “Maybe she’s not the kind of girl who likes to play the field.” He glared at Robin and then was back to Nicole. “No judgment either way, _on playing the field or not_. But Nicole…”

He paused and genuinely seemed relaxed for the first time since boarding the plane, “I have to disagree with you. _Human beings are not distractions._ At least, that’s not how I think of them.”

Nicole listened as he went on, clearly in the middle of a deep thought.

“Robin and I were doing some pre-dawn pressure bomb measurements this morning.  All the while, I was watching the time. I could see the sun rising and the stars fading into the morning light. I was desperate to make the most of the last few moments of data collection.” His hand were raised in tandem with the drama of the moment. “But Nicole, I realized something. The stars are there. In the sky. ALL THE TIME. We just can’t see them because we’re blinded by the sun. Your life is the same. It is happening all the time.” He paused and took a deep breath, “There is

no

such

thing

as a distraction.”

Nicole saw the coastline of Sitkinak ahead and knew their flight was almost over. She adjusted the wing flaps and saw Jeremy jump at the palpable change in altitude.

His face froze and his knuckles turned white as he grabbed his knees tightly.

Robin jumped in to take Jeremy’s mind off the flight, “You have a good point there, babe. What do you think Nicole? Is Jer-bear right?”

“Umm. Wait?!? What? You got so philosophical I’m not sure I’m up to speed. What _exactly_ is the question?”

In all honesty, Nicole heard every word. She didn’t want to engage.

The last thing she wanted to talk about were her life plans. Or being present in the moment. She was a pilot for Chrissake. She was born in the moment. Every moment prepared for the next.

But who knows?

Maybe she did have her head stuck in the sand.

Maybe an unplanned, human non-distraction _was_ just what she needed.

Or, at the minimum, _craved_.

Admittedly, one human in particular came to mind.

Out of habit, she handed a pack of cinnamon gum to her passengers to help with the descent. She was absorbed mostly in the flying, but in the back of her mind, she thought about her banana bread and smiled to herself. She could certainly surrender a little self control if Waverly was interested.

 

Nicole’s long silence paired with a sudden gust of wind was too much for the anxious flyer to bear. Ears were popping with the change in pressure and the weather was a little rough.

 

“Maybe a change in subject can get us back to solid ground?” Jeremy blurted out, “Nicole. You’re trapped on an Alaskan island with one predator, who do you choose? Mosquitos, muskrats, or bears?”

Nicole check her gauges and then groaned. “Oh god. When you put it that way, the damn rat doesn’t seem so bad after all.”

She laughed. She told them a richly embellished story of Mustard, the Muskrat. They lowered down through the broken clouds and rain. Already the sore spot had healed and turned into a good story.

Then she told them all about the bear she’d seen a few days earlier. She’d honed both tales around the campfire once already. She thought Robert Service himself would have enjoyed the tales she spun as they neared the closing moments of the landing on the waters at Sitkinak.

 

____________________________

 

On the trip back to Stack Bay, Nicole had the plane all to herself.

In the copilot’s seat sat her half eaten banana bread and a bulging bag of mail. Nicole grabbed a slice and took a bite.

Below, the island chain was laced with low lying clouds that were quickly blowing off to the west.  Everything was soft and a little bit chilly. The rain dotted her windshield and drowned out the thoughts that sometimes filled her mind. In place of her worn-out worries, or calculations of savings, she thought again about Waverly Earp and the way she stomped around when she got mad, the swish of her hips walking down the dock, her fingers on the neck of her guitar. The memories persisted for the last 20 miles of her flight.

Soon the quiet of the cockpit was replaced with the babble of the lodge. While she unloaded supplies, she dropped the mailbag off at Gus’ desk, who sat seriously with a pencil behind her ear. “How are you getting on, Haught?”  
“Mmm. good. So far, I haven’t been eaten by a bear.”  
“ _Always a plus_. I’m guessing you’ve seen the mother in the meadow.”

Nicole nodded.

Gus went on. “I call her Coco.” Without looking up from her records, she continued, “But I thought you might prefer to socialize with the humans, right here at the lodge. I’m pretty sure the young ‘ens run a poker night on Tuesday. You should check in out.”

“Yes ma’am. I will.”

Nicole walked back to get a final load from the plane. Through the large windows of the lodge, she could see the people inside, including some campers from early in the week. She could hear burst of raucous laughter. She guessed that were telling tall tales— of mammoth-sized fish, families of playful otters, gregarious whales, and plentiful bears.

The whole group was aglow.

Instead of hiding out in the bunkhouse with a paperback for the rest of the afternoon, Nicole found an empty seat at the end of the bar. She helped herself to a bottle of beer and hung back a bit. She smiled while her campers got more and more boisterous by the moment. She saw Waverly listening to their stories and laughing at their jokes.

Later the bartender came over and leaned on the counter across from Nicole. “I think you might have outdone yourself. This group has officially exceeded the levels of fun we allow.”

Nicole begged to differ, “We have a higher threshold of fun allowed on the seaplane excursions.”

“Ah, okay, then. I stand corrected. You’re off the hook. I won’t have to issue a citation.”

“Phew!” Nicole sighed. She wasn’t 100% sure if Waverly was just playing nice in front of the guests. Nicole looked at the condensation on her beer bottle and swiped a line with her thumb.

“Sounds like you saw a family of bears right here at the lodge. I wish I was so lucky.”

Nicole almost choked on her drink, “Frankly, I felt lucky to walk away unscathed. It was a little too close for comfort.”

Waverly stopped, “I assumed you’d just embellished that part to make yourself more intriguing to Mattie and Flo.”  
“Hardly.” She felt a rush of confidence, “I’ll have you know, I don’t have to lie to make myself more interesting.”

The comment made Waverly stop mid-way through wiping down the counter. Her eyes were curious, with a just a hint of that familiar skepticism that frequently rose between them.

Waverly stopped. She set down her rag, considering those words and absent-mindedly stared out the window. She pulled at the torn edge of the beer label in front of Nicole. “All this time, I thought you were just a gasoline-burning, wood-chopping, and meat-eating machine.”

“Oh no. I’m so much more. Maybe you’d like to go kayaking with me sometime. I know all the best spots.”

“Hmm, I bet you say that to all the girls.”

Nicole laughed. She was about to say “ _Only the pretty ones”_ when all of a sudden, Wynonna appeared.

The door behind the bar swung open, and there she was. Ready to level up the fun. The room was filled with Wynonna’s bravado and charisma.

And the unmistakable smell of baking cookies.

While Wynonna buttered up the guests, Waverly disappeared momentarily.  She returned with a large plate piled high with goodies. “They’ve got chocolate chips, dried fruit and walnuts, so they’re practically trail mix.”

Nicole keenly eyed the tray of cookies as Waverly rounded the lounge. A few more guests arrived and beelined for Waverly. Clearly, the word was out about the Cookie Happy Hour.  _How did she not know about this?_

Nicole was determined to get just one of those cookies.

Finally, Waverly made her way back to the bar with a few sweet morsels left.  She held the tray above her shoulders, just out of Nicole’s reach, “They’re probably not your thing. Too healthy.”

Before Nicole could answer, Wynonna interjected, “Don’t torture Haught.  You owe her for putting up with your rat.”

Nicole laughed, “See! She said rat too. I’m not the only one!”

Waverly glared at her big sister before heading out to refill drinks.

Wynonna’s voice was deadpan. “That furball was a frickin’ time bomb. I’m not surprised it went ka-boom. Sorry you were collateral damage.”  

She half-whispered to Haught, “There were some extenuating circumstances.  Despite her love of chia pudding and Tibetan prayer flags, Waverly’s not totally looney.” Wynonna grabbed a cookie and made herself comfortable.

Nicole leaned back, assessing this new information. “Really?”

Wynonna joined her, with two elbows leaning back against the bar. “Nah. She’s a sucker for kids with assholes for parents. And keeping her promises.”

Nicole was curious, but before she could get the full story Wynonna was out in the fray, not-so-subtly intervening on Waverly’s behalf.

She placed her body squarely in-between Waverly and a hand-sy guest with a five o’clock shadow and silver-tipped cane.

Nicole could hear his voice across the room, “Call me Jack. All my friends do.”

Wynonna dared him to a game of darts with two shots of whiskey that seemed to magically appear. “I’ll give you a free pitcher of beer for every treble or double. And every bulls-eye gets a stick-and-poke tattoo.”

Waverly tucked her hair behind her ear and crossed her arms, inching away. Nicole quickly walked over. She placed a hand on Waverly’s shoulder, guiding her away from the man’s ferocious gaze. “I heard you’re the bird-watcher around here. Some guests were just asking me about tar-midgeon. I was hoping you could help.”

Waverly visibly relaxed and moved her hand to Nicole’s waist. “‘I’m guessing you mean ptarmigans. Take me to your birders.”

Nicole was glad to see Waverly’s eyes light up. There were a few sparks where the woman’s finger grazed her side. _Maybe there was hope that the rest of the summer wouldn’t be one dumb argument after another._

The happy hour waned. The sounds and smells of dinner took their place. Wynonna spoke loudly, addressing the whole room, “Dinner’s thirty minutes away, cowpokes. After that, Waverly and I will be hosting a game of Truth or Dare down at the beach. If you’re interested or would like to avoid us completely, we’ll be the ones sitting under wool blankets by the fire.”

She gestured to Waverly. “Before we get into the party games, my baby sister also leads a sing-a-long at 7:30, which many guests find more entertaining than sharing intimate secrets with strangers— _To each their own. No judgment—_ And some nights, when the stars align, Waverly _does_ take requests.”

A few folks clapped at the suggestion. The scruffy man named Jack stamped his cane against the wood floor. His eyes tore across the room and seemed to make Waverly shiver. She avoided looking his direction, opting for finger guns directed to her new birdwatching buddies.

Nicole finished her beer and waved a few informal goodbyes. She headed back to the Beaver to clean-up and get ready for tomorrow.

 

After dinner, Nicole was tempted to change her usual routine of an early bedtime and check out the beachfire scene. Shae used to tease Nicole, saying the redhead’s super power was napping. She decided to claim that title and perform the rarefied feat of an after dinner power nap tonight.

Her early-to-bed, early-to-rise made it hard to stay up through sunset, let alone til dark. She’d heard a lot of folks say how clear the stars were but rarely stayed up to see them. Now that the afternoon rain had cleared, there was a good chance she might see them tonight. She knew she’d need extra rest in order to stay awake.

And maybe it wasn’t just the stars that intrigued her.

Waverly was leading the group through an upbeat rendition of  _Country Roads_ when Nicole finally woke up and dragged herself to the beach. The stars were out and the moon was the narrowest sliver, low on the horizon. Nicole sat on the same weathered log. The music played on. She noticed the line of the Milky Way in the night sky. Doc handed her a can of beer, and she was glad to have gone out of her way to be there. She even thought about Jeremy’s words from earlier in the day. Here was her life, happening all the time.

Waverly followed that song with a country tune. Nicole was familiar with it. It was called _Come Home Soon_ and she’d heard it around the base not that long ago.

Frankly, she found it too sentimental.

But…

Waverly could make even that sappy song sound pretty good.

When Waverly stopped to much applause, she started talking. “This song always reminds me of my fiancée, Champ. I don’t talk about him much when I’m working, because I miss him so much. We’ve had some tough times, but I know in my heart, it’s meant to be. He’s a machine gunner stationed in South Korea, but as soon as I see him, I can’t wait to make if official”

The crowd sighed audibly.

Wynonna raised her bottle, “To Champ Hardy, a real American hero.” She whispered to the woman sitting next to her, “He makes Chris Pine look like a Seth Rogan. Mmm-mmm-mmm.”

What!

Nicole almost fell off her seat.

Wynonna continued and Nicole eavesdropped, “If he wasn’t Waverly’s, I’d eat that man for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”  
Nicole felt a little twist in her heart. Not that anything had happened with Waverly and it was probably all for the best that a cutie like that was off the table. At the bar, Nicole thought she’d seen a sign of shared interest. She remembered the flush of their bodies pressed together in the in walk-in fridge, and the stupid banana bread from this morning.

Nicole didn’t see Wynonna give Waverly a knowing nod, affirming that the sisters’ plan had worked.

She was unaware of Jack’s menacing advances.

She had no clue that the sisters had a plot to deftly avoid any more harassment, while making Waverly look like the sweetest piece of all American apple pie that you ever did see.

In her state of momentary shock, Nicole's bullshit detector had been temporarily disabled. She didn't know this was all ruse to protect Waverly from Jack. 

Meanwhile Wynonna laughed to herself. _Pffft, the jackass didn’t even know they were Canadian._

 

______________

 

**Waverly’s Vegan Trail Mix Cookie**

Wet

  * ¾ cup coconut oil
  * ¾ cup brown sugar -- (packed)
  * 1 egg substitute
  * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Dry

  * 1 ¼ cups flour
  * 1 teaspoon baking soda
  * 1 teaspoon salt
  * 2 cups rolled oats
  * 1 cup shredded coconut
  * 6 fresh squeezed tablespoons orange juice and zest
  * 1 teaspoon cinnamon



Goodies mixed in at the end

  * 1 cup chocolate chips
  * ¾ cup dried fruit mix: cranberry, raisin and mango
  * ¾ cup barely chopped walnuts



Ping pong ball sized scoops. Makes 64 cookies. Bake at 350•F for 15m

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucky also beta-ed these cookies, for science.


	5. As If Anyone Cares What Wise Men Say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stakes are high at the Tuesday night's staff poker game with three bags of potato chips and a steaming hot pot of hijinx.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly, leprechaun-free, but nonetheless still fortified with LuckyWantstoKnow's beta super prowess.

 

When Gus handed Waverly a padded blue and white package, she was relieved. “Thanks Gus.” She turned to her sister. “Finally. I’ve paid my debt to Haught.”

Wynonna poked her, “I thought you hated Amaz—“

Waverly interrupted. “Shh! Don’t say it. They’re probably listening.” They continued walking around the back. “Who am I kidding. They're totally listening.Hey Jeff B. Sadly, the evil corporate megalith was the only way to replace Nicole’s headphones within a week.”

Wynonna slapped Waverly’s ass with a gentle swat as they parted ways, “Karma’s a bitch.”

Back at the bunkhouse, Waverly opened the package and set the pristine German engineered box on top of Nicole’s equally mathematical bed. _Jeez, how does she get the blanket to to do that?_

She answered out loud, muttering to herself, “Some mysteries of the universe will never be solved.”

 

—-:-=+]:::•:::[+=:—-

 

After dinner and clean up on Tuesday, Waverly found Doc setting up the poker table in the usual spot hidden away in the lodge kitchen. He tipped his hat and said “Wynonna’s in the pantry.”

Her sister’s arms were loaded down with three kinds of chips and two cans of dip: onion and bean.

“Going all out. I see.”

“I can’t lie. I’m feeling good. I had my first acupuncture patient this morning and she claims her back pain is already feeling better. The internet. Amazing, right?! _Maybe we should offer IV hydration therapy._ For hangovers and jet lag and shit.”Wynonna’s eyes glazed over as she considered the possibilities. “Clearly I’m good with sharp pokey things.”

Waverly said, “I believe they’re called _needles.”_

“Bingo. You’ve always been the smart one. I’m so glad you’re here, and even better— you’re early.” She gestured to Waverly to pick up a six pack of PBR. “Did you know Haught’s joining us tonight?”

“Isn’t it past her bedtime?”

“Ha. Ha. Doc told me to play nice. It’s cold and rainy and I want to make things nice for our guest.”

Waverly was skeptical, “Honestly, what’s your devious plan?”

Wynonna shoved the chips into Waverly’s open arms. “You know me too well, baby girl.” She leaned in whispering, “When I scratch my nose, I want you to raise the bet. If I move my hair off my face _like this_ , fold. Play your cards right and you’re in 80/20.”

Waverly was scowling. She did not want any part of this plan.

Wynonna could see her reluctance. “Or I’ll tell Nicole you poured out forty gallons of foam before serving that doppelbock.”

“What?! No way. Besides, she started it when she dropped the keg on the dock.”

“No, no, no. Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

“Fine.” Waverly huffed. “But for the record, it was only four gallons of foam.”

A few minutes later Nicole and Curtis were there, ready to play.

Nicole thanked Waverly for the headphones.

Waverly answered quickly, “No need to thank me. It was the only thing to do.”

“Well, I appreciate it, either way.” Nicole paused and Waverly had to admit that the sight of Nicole biting her lip and acting less-than-cocky was a welcome, but unexpected, surprise. Their eyes met. “Not everyone is so quick to do the right thing, Waverly Earp.” She grabbed a seat and dipped a Frito.

Doc was shuffling the cards but kindly handed the deck to Curtis without a word when the older man held out his hand.

Nicole watched the interactions, wordlessly taking note.

Wynonna broke the ice, “Welcome to the club, Haught pants. I hope you brought cash.”

Nicole set her hands on the table and asked, “What’s the buy in?”

Wynonna glanced at Doc, who answered while casually playing with a stack of chips. “We usually start at twenty just to make it interesting and then play it by ear from there, depending on how the night goes.”

The night went well for Doc and Wynonna, who managed to refrain from using the ridiculous nonverbal cues she had set up earlier.

Nicole won a hand with three of a kind. She grabbed another chip and turned to Doc. “I’m sorry I didn’t join you sooner. Who knew how much I needed to relax?”

Wynonna handed Nicole a fresh beer. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Waverly rolling her eyes, “Haught, you know what they say about all work and no play.”

“Cheers to that. And this onion dip. Delicious.”

Curtis excused himself after the second round of beers. He said, “I hate to call it a night while I’m down five, but I’ll catch up next time.”

Once he shut the door, Wynonna flipped her chair around backwards and returned to the table with a bottle of whiskey and four glasses. “Now that the boss man has gone to bed, are you yahoos ready to play some real poker?”

Doc shuffled the cards, “Are you suggesting we raise the stakes?”

“Absolutely.” She turned to their guest. “Haught, what do you got?”

Nicole eyed the room with a smirk. “Peanut M&Ms and a few Korean face masks. Will that do?”

The group laughed, “I think you’ll fit right in. Let’s regroup in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”

Wynonna returned with boxes of Hot Tamales. Doc brought butterscotches and some hand-tied fishing flies in small plastic boxes. Waverly had incense, candied nuts, and a lone chocolate bar in a dull brown paper wrapper.

As they sat down, Nicole leaned over to get a closer look.

Waverly was mildly distracted by the open buttons on the pilot's Henley, but maintained her cool enough to answer the unspoken question, “Vegan chocolate.”

Nicole read the label slowly, “With wild Ecuadorian peanuts and Himalayan sea salt. Wow. Sounds so exotic.”

“It’s _sooo_ good.” Waverly let down her guard a bit. “And almost impossible to find. This is my last one, so I’m hoping to be lucky tonight.”

Nicole tried to repress a smile, “Luck has almost nothing to do with poker.” She arranged her stack of face masks neatly. “It’s all about the odds.”

Wynonna interrupted, “And the stakes.”

Doc tapped the cards on the table, “And paying attention. Speaking of, are you ladies ready to play?”

Wynonna answered flatly. “Don’t call us ladies. And yes.”

Doc asked Waverly to cut the cards and then said, “I know the old man prefers seven card stud, but I was thinking we update the table with some Texas Hold ‘em. Dealer calls two of hearts wild.”

“Aww, such a romantic.” Wynonna’s tone was dripping with sarcasm. “I’ll try not to get nauseous.”

Nicole turned to Waverly, “Are they always like this?”

“This is nothing. You should see when they get drunk and start shooting things.”

With a huge dollop of onion dip about to spill off her Ruffle, Wynonna interrupted “Alright.  Enough talking. Let’s play.”

Before the first hand was over, Wynonna was already scratching her nose, hoping Waverly would raise the bet. She gave her sister a kick under the table, and finally Waverly upped the stakes with a small bag of nuts.

She held her breath hoping Nicole would see the bet with one of those face masks. As luck would have it, she did. Wynonna took the pot with a bunch of butterscotch to boot.

The loot changed hands several times over the next hour, with the whiskey flowing steadily and some country music in the background. Wynonna kept up the nose scratching and hair flipping like a nervous tick.

It was getting late when the stakes of a hand slowly inched higher and higher.

When Doc turned over the final shared card, Waverly went all in. She had no choice but to follow orders.

Wynonna’s nose was red with their secret code.

Waverly had held onto her vegan chocolate bar all night by refusing to risk it. Now she wished she’d left it back in her room.

Surprisingly, Nicole followed suit. “All in.” She winked at Waverly, who struggled to put on a poker face.

Doc said quietly, “Looks like someone’s calling your bluff.”  He folded, “Too rich for my blood.”

Not surprisingly Wynonna was all in too.

She eagerly threw down her full house. “Aces and kings mother truckers!”

Waverly quietly lay her cards face down on top of the deck, hoping no one would notice.

Wynonna reached out to collect her winnings when Nicole coughed to interrupt and then laid down a four of a kind.

Doc put his hand lightly on Wynonna. “I think we all know the jacks take it.”

“I’ll miss you Hot Tamales.”

Doc collected the rest of the cards in a neat stack, “Well folks. That’s all she wrote.”

It was past 11:00. Nicole stacked up her winnings and lined up the poker chips back in the wooden case. Doc handed her the cash and said, “Try not to spend it all in one place.”

She answered, “I already know right where that money is going.”

“Spoken like a true planner.”  Doc looked at Waverly as he spoke, wondering if she noticed the connection.

The group folded up their chairs and put things away. Wynonna hugged a bag of bbq chips as she worked. When they were almost done, Nicole cracked open the box of tamales and passed it around generously. She encouraged Wynonna to have the last of the box, who groaned in response, “Why’d you have to go and be so noble? Now you’re making me look like a sore loser.”

Nicole smiled back, “You’ll have to prove yourself another night, Earp. I’m fading fast. Good night folks. Thanks for the invite.”

As she went, Waverly watched her vegan chocolate bar disappear into darkness, with little hope of its return.

 

~~~~ o ~~~~

 

Less than 24 hours later, Waverly spotted the distinct brown paper wrapper of her vegan chocolate bar on Nicole’s dresser, with a stack of Hot Tamales. She should never have brought it to the table if she wasn’t willing to lose it. She could her sister’s words in her head.

 

Her yoga class had three returning guests that morning. They were old college friends from all over the country. This trip was planned in particular for long sunny days which made Waverly laugh. Kodiak had a lot more rain than she’d imagined.  She was relieved to hear they’d be headed up the Denali after their stay here. From the deck, they soaked in the sun and focused on the mantra, specially chosen for the group.

“ _Oo-oh-ommmmm Bhur Bhuvaḥ Swaḥ”_

Each woman held the warrior pose as Waverly spoke to her small class, “This is one of the oldest Sanskit chants. It's a way of saying thank you to the sun.” She winked to the ladies and looked out into the field of wildflowers in front of her. The cotton grass was in its full glory. Almost overnight it had gone from a few spots of white to a fairytale scene of blooms, swaying in the wind.

Waverly took comfort knowing Colonel Mustard was safe and sound. She heard him shuffling around under her feet, presumably enjoying the scraps she brought.

She continued the chant, first in Sanskit and then translating as she went, “ _Tat-savitur Vareñyaṃ. Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi_

The excellent divine power of the Sun. May we contemplate the radiance of that life force.”

She took her time with the class, letting them learn the phrases during the natural pauses in their sun salutation. Wynonna loved to mock the chants that closed Waverly’s classes, but Gus made her promise not to change a thing. Finally Waverly came to the last line. “ _Dhiyo Yonaḥ Prachodayāt._ May this inspire our understanding.”

The class was seated in hero pose, gradually moving through each of their fingertips through the cycles of the chant. Waverly could feel the warmth of the sun on her closed eyelids and imagined the energy filling her body.

From the farthest reaches of the sky, she could hear the faint rumble of the sea plane. She opened one eye and finished the final phrase of the chant and then called it a day.

She let everyone know to leave their mats and thanked them for coming. By the time the plane touched down in the bay, Waverly was walking back to the lodge. Nicole’s distinct yellow plane was followed shortly by two more seaplanes. The college friends would be gone by noon and in their place was a destination wedding. Despite being small for a wedding, the group was large for the lodge. Every room at Stack Bay was taken, including the top bunk in the bunkhouse, which would be occupied by the wedding party’s photographer, Jolene.

Waverly rushed to get changed into her uniform for introductions. She first met the groom, Robert— who insisted everyone call him Bobo, and then his bride to be, Constance. She learned that Wynonna’s official title for the weekend was Events Planner.  Fancy!

Out of the corner of her eye, Waverly could see Nicole in the back unloading A-list champagne and strawberries into a small storage room. Nicole saw her looking and smiled back. Waverly’s heartbeat quickened at the memory of their bodies pressed together.

After saying her hellos, Waverly came back to check out the supplies followed lazily by Wynonna. The room was filled with the smells of fresh fruit, mint and most of all— peaches. Her hand touched the skin lightly.

Nicole stopped her, “Ah ah ahh. I’m sworn to protect those peaches with my life.”

“Come on, red. Can’t my baby sis have just one. She’s practically starving on nuts and raisins.”

“Sorry. My word is unbreakable.” She tapped her brow and then pointed to Waverly, “I’ve got my eye on you.”

Waverly let out a huff of air and walked away from temptation, deftly avoiding Nicole’s annoying ice chest, straight to the bunkhouse where her vegan chocolate was sitting, unattended, just tormenting her with its peanutty goodness.

_What does Nicole need vegan chocolate for anyway?._

While Waverly silently contemplated sneaking her chocolate back, she saw their third roommate approaching with a gregarious smile and four bags. Waverly turned away from the chocolate and said, “Woah, Jo-Jo. Looks like you could use some help with those bags.”

“Thanks, sweet tooth.”

“Oh, those aren’t mine.  Long-story-short, I lost all that in a bet. Somebody called my bluff.”

“Oh sweetheart…” She put her arm around Waverly. “You’ve got to stop bluffing. I’ve known you for all of five minutes and any stranger can tell, you wear your heart on your sleeve.”

“Am I that obvious?”

“Seriously Waves, you’ve got to stop letting people walk all over you.”

 

—-:-=+]:::•:::[+=:—-

 

After three days of wedding festivities, the crew was practically punch drunk on Sunday afternoon. They’d attended to Constance’s constant cravings and Bobo’s tireless pursuit of the world most memorable everything. By the end of the weekend, every bottle had been opened, every peach eaten, every prime rib roasted, and every dip skinnied.

Jolene was packing up her bags when Waverly made her way back to the bunkhouse. She sighed, “You guys have been unforgettable, but I think I need to sleep for two days to catch up.”

Jolene smiled, “We couldn’t have done it without you. The weather was a bitch but you guys were amazing.” She snapped a picture of Waverly with the camera dangling around her neck. She grabbed the chocolate from the dresser and held it out to Waverly, “I heard the pilot, Nicki. She said she cheated to win all this candy off you guys. She thinks you’re a bunch of schmucks.”

Waverly was surprised. “What? No, I mean she’s not the nicest, but that doesn’t sound like her.”

“Come on, cutie. Would I lie to you?”

Waverly had a far off look in her eye. Jolene put a hand on her shoulder. “It was nice meeting you. Don’t forget what I said about standing up for yourself.”

 

Waverly thought about what Jolene said, while she watched the plane take off for Kodiak.  She followed the crew back to clean up the huge mess before even considering the nap she craved.  Wynonna handed out Red Bulls and turned the music on loud while they went to work.

Waverly was exhausted and wide awake when they were done. Nicole returned from Kodiak with two couples from Vermont who went straight to bed. The staff was relieved and all went their separate ways for the evening.

Waverly plunked back to the bunkhouse and was stopped immediately by a vegan chocolate bar staring straight back at her, practically begging to be eaten.

She grabbed the bar and looked around for any signs of Nicole. Seeing none, she slowly ripped open the corner of the wrapper and devilishly took a bite. She was so wrapped up in the sinful deliciousness that she didn’t hear Nicole coming down the walk, until it was almost too late.

She had the expression of someone caught red-handed “Hey.”

Haught answered suspiciously, “Hey, yourself. What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

“Waverly, I think we’ve already established that you may be the world's worst liar. Come clean.”

Waverly moved her hand further behind her back to hide the chocolate and rotated away from Nicole.

“Come on. Don’t be like that. I thought we were friends.”

Waverly stood up straight, “Friends don’t cheat friends at poker.” Then she pulled the chocolate bar out and brazenly took a bite inches from Nicole’s face, “And trick people to take their special hard-to-find ethically responsible sweets.”

“What?!”

Waverly stepped away from Nicole, who tried to grab the chocolate.

“I didn’t cheat. _I never cheat!”_

Waverly waved the chocolate bar in front of her face, just out of reach, “Tell that to the empty wrapper.” She started to run down the walk and called back, “…after I finish eating this delicious …” She couldn’t finish. Nicole took off in a full sprint after her. On gut instinct, Waverly bolted— through the dining room and out the main doors.

Nicole knew it was silly, but their rivalry had always been petty. Waverly called out, “Mmmm, wild peanuts!” She was egging Nicole on and laughing.

Nicole took the bait, running down the full length of the beach. Both women kept moving, without pause. Waverly was soon at the end of the beach and then headed up along the stream bed. The rains from the weekend had turned the trickle into a real force of nature. The rush of water took Waverly by surprise, as she jumped the large boulders to get farther from Nicole. She was trapped between her rival and the rushing water on the main channel behind her. She turned back and shook her head, laughing.

Waverly tried to jump to the far side of the creek and slipped. Like a piece of glacier, her smile fell away and time slowed. The water looked only a foot deep, but the current was strong.

In an instant, she went from firm footing, to being caught and pulled off her feet. She slipped and fell with the force of the rapids. Her face twisted into horror as she scrambled for something to hold onto.

The sound of the rushing water filled her ears and pulled at her clothes like a raging beast.

Nicole rushed downstream and Waverly lost sight of her. The world turned to white water and thrashing. She reached in every direction, desperate to find a hold on something.

She didn't see Nicole plant a leg into the icy waters with a firm hold on a branch. 

She didn't hear her call out.

All she felt was a sudden and strong hand catching her arm and holding fast.

Nicole quickly caught Waverly’s forearm, precisely pulling her up and out of the water. Waverly felt like a wet feather when Nicole lifted her out of danger. Her ears burned with the pulse of the moment still pounding in her ears. Without realizing what was happening, Nicole found a resting place on a fallen tree flanking the banks of the stream.

“Oh my gosh. Are you okay?” Water was dripping down the strands of hair around her face.

Waverly was still holding tightly to Nicole, weak and shaken from the fall. She paused and caught her breath, taking time to feel the ground beneath her and the warmth of Nicole's grip on her. She leaned into Nicole’s warm hands, “I think I dropped the chocolate.”

They both started laughing. First in a burst that broke the tension of the moment and then with a deep breath, as they both let the reality of the rescue sink in. Nicole pressed her forehead against Waverly’s.”I’ll never know the deliciousness of the wild Ecuadorian peanuts.”

“With Himalayan sea salt.” Waverly said. The last bit of laughter drifted off and she felt Nicole move slightly out of her space. She looked down for a moment and then back to Nicole. “Thanks for saving my life.”

“Well, that is sort of my job. My old job.” Nicole paused. She moved her hair out of her face and straightened her posture. “Any chance you want to _take back_ what you said about me being a cheater?”

“But Jolene said…”

“Jolene’s a dickhead. Come on. I would have given you the dang chocolate if I knew you wanted it so bad.”

“Then why’d you chase me?”

“Um… I just couldn’t stop myself.”

They both laughed again and Waverly caught her breath. She was feeling very cold.  They sat sheltered from the wind with Nicole’s jacket wrapped around Waverly. They were about to stand when Waverly whispered, “Hey bear.”

Nicole tucked back down behind the tree branches and pulled Waverly with her, sheltering her low against the trunk. Waverly could feel Nicole’s arm around her. She felt a rush of warmth that caught her by surprise. Who knew Haught could be so brave. Waverly's heart first raced at the sight of the bear, but now she was slightly distracted by another, much more friendly mammal.

Nicole silently whispered, “Holy shit.” Her eyes were big and she smiled with a dimple to reassure Waverly that it would all be fine.

They were still like that for a few minutes listening to the sound of the bear on the cobblestones of the beach. Waverly turned her face to the side and tried not to think about the softness of Nicole's cheek only inches away. Her eyes followed to the sound of the bear. 

She could feel the chill of her wet clothes and the warm places where Nicole was covering her. Water dropped slowly down her back, finding the low places and sinking into them. She closed her eyes and held them tight.

They could both hear the sounds of the creature moving further away and relaxed a bit.

As the danger subsided, Nicole looked at Waverly and lightened her grip. Waverly hoped desperately that she wasn’t blushing.

But she knew she was.

Nicole took a quick look over the branches to where the bear had been and made room for Waverly to get a view too. Together they watched the bear ramble off into the tall willows and heaved a sigh of relief in unison.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the comments.  
> This week's topic: Your favorite chip or crisp?
> 
> Mine: Kettle's Salt and Black Pepper Crinkle. Wow.


	6. As If Some Things Are Meant to Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole learns the truth and goes back to the poker game. Will she finally put her cards on the table or continue to bluff?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to LuckyWantstoKnow for her patience and help as the Beta for this

 

* * *

 

Nicole dropped off four Vermonters and their kayaks at Raspberry Island, and then went straight to Sitkinak to find her two favorite researchers ready and waiting. They looked eager to leave the island and spend for a few days at the lodge to recuperate before heading to the outer islands.

Their gear was caked with mud but significantly lighter than when she dropped them off almost a week ago.

“Buckle up boys.  This should be a smooth flight to Kodiak. I radioed Shorty this morning and he’s all set to chauffeur you around town for supplies while I quick drop off a family of three for a full day of kayaking. The Crofte family is _so_ far away from Wisconsin. Look out orcas, here they come!” She eyed her clipboard. “The three of us will regroup at 3:00. Until then, are you all set?”

Jeremy nodded and Nicole circled the Beaver around for a quick take off.  Once the engine noise quieted down, she offered her guests some candied nuts. “Let me guess. You guys are dying to hear all about Waverly?”

Jeremy looked to Robin and then stage whispered back. “For the sake of my relationship, I can’t ask about Doc.”

Robin leaned in, “So… what’s the latest?”

Nicole thought about Waverly, out of breath and clinging to her cold and wet from the creek. She took a deep breath and checked her gauges once more before answering, all the while remembering Waverly licking hummus from the toasted fold of a pita later that same day. Her crush on this engaged, straight girl had, admittedly, gotten a little worse in the last twenty four hours. As she clocked the gauges, she could feel the guys staring at her. “Oh my gosh, you guys are hilarious. We had a little tussle over some vegan chocolate, ran into a bear, and I saved her from drowning in a swollen creek.”

“You’ve been busy.”

She chuckled, “Yup.” She could see a few cruise ships marking the line to Kodiak like giant stomach-flu-infested cookie crumbs and tipped her wings to follow the same track.

“The rains have been relentless. How did you two cope?”

They answered in unison. “Go.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a Chinese board game.”

“Oh.”

Robin interjected, “Bored being the operative word. Enough about that.” He rolled his eyes. “I want to hear about this bear and Waverly. Did you rescue her? Did she swoon?”

“ _Oh Nicole.  You’re my hero_.”

Nicole glanced sideways at the dramatic re-enactment taking place in the rear of the plane.

“Pfft. No.” _I wish._ She tried to solve the riddle. “Is this about your silly bet? What is this bet any way? Who gets maimed by wilderness first?”

Jeremy tried to shush Robin, but Robin replied, “My better half and I have a bet about who will hookup with whom.”  

As Robin spoke, Jeremy made a cutting motion across his neck. He blushed, “I don’t like to bet on people’s personal lives.”

Robin shook his finger, disapprovingly, “But…”

Jeremy’s eyes were popping out of his head. He interrupted with an explanation. “Speculation is a way to pass the time while counting follicles. _Did I mention we don’t have WiFi?”_

Nicole was intrigued “So Waverly is part of your speculation?  I thought she was engaged?”

“Hardly! No. So— she’s our primary subject. I mean, who doesn’t love that cinnamon roll? Right?”

Nicole caught those words and her mind switched gears, time suddenly moved a bit slower, cards shuffled and her senses piqued.“But…What about Chip? Or was it Champ?”

Jeremy laughed “Champ? No. He’s old news. A high school fumble. I’m surprised Waverly even mentioned him. He’s NBD.”

Waverly is not engaged.

 _No_.

Of course she’s not.

Robin paused, “I think the key initials there are Band D?”

Jeremy shook his head. “You scamp.”

Robin faked offense, “What!? I’m just saying what you were thinking.”

“Whatever. Waverly said he was a Leo. She was young and the options were limited.” Jeremy went on, unaware that Nicole’s senses were tingling. “Look, I know Waverly’s ex-girlfriend from Friday Harbor and she’s _also_ a Leo …”

Nicole could feel her hands gripping the throttle. Not only was Waverly not engaged. Jeremy had said quote unquote _Waverly’s ex- girlfriend? _Straight girls have girlfriends, but the do not have ex-girlfriends.

The conversational throttle was on high. Talking noises continued like a cloud of sound that Nicole couldn’t see through, until she heard Robin interrupt Jeremy. As if the engine suddenly sputtered, he said,  “My money’s always been on Waverly and you. But Jeremy…. He…”

There was a second pregnant pause before Nicole blurted out, “Me?”

_Me…_

She swallowed hard.

A second later she had to check her aircraft to make sure she was fully tuned in to the DeHavilland.

She had lost a moment of time to her own imagination. Luckily, the plane knew the way to Kodiak better than she did. She checked the pressure and began her descent.

Jeremy coughed and looked up to Nicole. ”Sorry. I didn’t think you’d be her type. Too much lawful good. I bet on a guest.” She handed him some cinnamon gum and rolled her eyes.

Robin ribbed him, “Random guest over this fine human being.” He gestured to Nicole, “You’d have to be a lunatic!”

“Um guys, I’m right here, feeling a little bit objectified.”

Jeremy reached out a hand nervously. “You’ll have to excuse this guy. Robin lost his conversational filter on Day Two, maybe three.”

Robin shrugged, “Bathing in ice cold river water changes a person. Dehydrated pico de gallo sustains only the barest minimum of social norms.”

Jeremy leaned back in his seat, bracing for the landing as he felt the plane angle more steeply downward. “In other words, we really need this break. The thought of a hot shower alone kinda blows my mind.”

Robin put his hand on Jeremy’s, “Just close your eyes and imagine your hair full of rich, bubbly shampoo. Warm water showering your face.”

The lake was underneath them in no time. Nicole touched down with the grace of a ballerina. Not even a splash.

 

;-) — : -:-:-:-:-:-:- : — (-;

 

After a long day of kayaking, Nicole found the Crofte family in good spirits. They’d seen a few whales and countless eagles. “I can take a few things off my bucket list after that day. Thanks a lot, Nicole.”

“That’s Stack Bay Lodge’s secret spot. My old Lieutenant Commander, Xavier Dolls, made me promise not to tell anyone else about it, so I hope you had your GPS tracking turned off on your phones while you were snapping selfies.” She winked back at them. “The last thing we need is a powerboat full of looky-loos stinking up the place.”

They settled into their seatbelts and Nicole carefully powered out of the bay into the larger inlet before going full throttle. As they enjoyed the views during the short flight back, the group was excited for the cookies and milk happy hour. Perry said, “Gus claims that the cookies are practically magic, but I’m skeptical. Nicole, are they really _that_ good?”

She chuckled. “They’ve always tasted pretty damn good to me. But I will admit to some bias. Every time I have one I’m so worn out from fishing and flying and the cold rain. Part of me thinks a hockey puck with chocolate chips and coconut would taste good in that state.”

The group laughed at her joke and then got a little dreamy. “A plate of warm cookies sounds pretty amazing right about now.”

When they arrived at the lodge, Waverly spotted the group from the lodge. Nicole noticed a change in routine with the bartender coming all the way to the dock to ask if anyone wanted hot chocolate or coffee.

Jeremy and Robin were already relaxing by a small fire in the low Adirondack chairs. They waved hello, each with a beer in one hand. Nicole swore she could see Robin winking, even from fifty feet away.

The Croftes were off for quick showers, eager for cookie time.

Nicole came to the lodge later after storing the kayaks and cleaning up the mud from inside the cab. The whole room smelled like warm chocolate and toasted coconut.

She snuck her usual beer from behind the bar. A few minutes later, Waverly walked up to her with a small plate of cookies. “I saved these just for you.”

“Thanks so much. You’re reading my mind. First the headphones, now this. Be careful, I might start to think you actually don’t mind me.”

Waverly was wispy, “Don’t worry Haught. You and your sloppy shower splashed all over the bathroom are still very annoying.”

“Phew.”  Nicole grabbed a cookie and tucked the plate behind the counter. “Actually that reminds me of something. I’ll be back in a sec.”

When she returned she had the same red bandanna Waverly had given her the banana bread in. Waverly was right where she left her, waiting behind the bar, “That was quick.”

Nicole handed her the bundle, “I got you a surprise in Kodiak.” She held the bandanna by the knot and carefully set it on the bar. Inside were four huge, ripe peaches.

Waverly leaned in close and took in the aroma. Nicole‘s eye went from the smile on Waverly’s lips to the dip in her cleavage when the woman’s head leaned in, “Mmm, you remembered. How sweet.” Waverly turned back up with a silly scowl. “Now, are you sure you’re not teasing me and that actually you’re sworn to protect these with your honor or something?”

Nicole bit her lip. “They’re all yours.”

The redhead found her plate of cookies safe and secure, and took a seat. “I even got some almond liqueur to go with them. I couldn’t bring myself to buy a $12 pint of vegan ice cream.”

Waverly scoffed, “Am I being punk’d? Or have you been body snatched?”

Nicole shook her head and smiled, hoping to hide her blush by biting the inside of her cheek.

Wynonna grabbed the bar stool next to her. “Give me some of the hard stuff sis. I’m about to start my umpteenth leather working class of the summer and I’m starting to go stir crazy.”

Waverly found a bottle and then held it up to the light, “Looks like someone finished this without restocking.” She made a note on her clipboard and exited to the storeroom.

Wynonna snuck a cookie and asked Nicole, “Did Waverly ever tell you the full story of her rat rescue mission?”

“No. Seems like ages ago at this point.” As she spoke, Nicole quietly moved her plate of cookies as far away from Wynonna as she could. “Time is different here.”

“Anyone ever tell you, you’re like a walking bumper sticker?” Wynonna gave up on waiting for Waverly and helped herself to a beer, taking a huge swig. “I have about five before my class starts, so I’ll be quick.” She leaned her elbow on the bar and used her free hand to elaborate. “That darn rat should never have been orphaned in the first place. It’s all my fault. I had a target shooting class get a little out hand. Long, gory story short, Waverly helped one of our youngest guests nurse the lone survivor of a brutal muskrat massacre back to health.”

Nicole cringed. “Sounds gruesome.” _And sweet._

“It was.” Wynonna went on, “You should have seen Waverly. She was shoo-ing a bald eagle away from the little varmint’s dad in order to rescue him. So much for the circle of life.”

“And you’re here, telling me this, because…?”

“Because it’s at least half my fault.”

“Consider yourself absolved. I haven’t seen that guy since he ate my headphones, which Waverly has already replaced with a completely identical set of new ones, so on that front we’re all good.”

“What can I say? I have counseling in my blood. Bringing peace, it makes me feel, mmmm…” She paused rubbing her belly. “…makes me feel all warm inside.” Just then Waverly arrived with a fresh bottle of Knob Creek. “Speaking of warm inside,” she pulled the whiskey close and took a quick swig straight from the bottle hoping none of the guests saw. She seemed a little tipsy, “Wynonna Earp, Peacemaker, lawbreaker, matchmaker, caretaker, big time faker!” She pointed to her sister, “And right by her side is tried and true Waverly Earp cookie baker, note taker…. What about you Haught. Are you a dream maker or a real heartbreaker?”

Waverly shrugged off a hug. “Oh for Chrissake! Get to your class before someone complains.”

As she left, walking backwards, she pointed to Haught, “See you at poker tomorrow night?”

“It’s a deal, but if I catch any more of your secret hand signals, I’ll be hijacking the party for some Golden Girls Trivia.”

Waverly whispered to Nicole, “You knew about that this whole time?”

“I already told you that you had the world’s worst poker face. Maybe knowing you’re a bunch of cheaters is the real reason I chased you halfway to Timbuktu trying to get back that chocolate bar.”

“If it helps, it wasn’t my idea.”

“Actually, that does help. A little squirrel-y throwing your sister under the bus, but I’ll take what I can get. Does this mean the hazing rituals are officially complete?”

Waverly put out her hand to shake. “It’s official. You’re in the club. For real this time.”

Nicole gladly shook on the deal. She noticed the lingering way that Waverly Earp held her hand. She could feel the hairs on her lower back spring into action. She knew she had it really bad for this one. Clearly not single and queer enough to have at least one ex-girlfriend

God damn it, she could feel the weight of her crush deepening all the way in her gut. Chetri made an excellent argument about life happening all the time. This felt like way more than a simple distraction. Something might really happen.

 

•••000 **000** 000•••

 

Nicole skipped the beachfire sing along in order to wake up at 4:00 the next morning. She took a group of retirees from Montecito on a guided kayaking trip at dawn. The water was glassy and a thin fog came and went in wisps, making the morning feel like a movie. Everyone had a great time, Nicole included. She’d been keeping careful track of the migration of the salmon and the hungry bears that ate them for the past few weeks with good results. First off, she hadn’t accidentally run into a bear. And second, she found them right where she wanted them and made all the guests dreams come true.

True to her hunch, they saw a group of juvenile bears. Everyone enjoyed the view from the safety of the ocean. On the way, they even spotted a pod of orcas. Ka-Ching! At the halfway point, Nicole made them lunch with freshly picked huckleberry salad and smoked salmon dip. Back at the lodge, she took a disco nap and applied a fresh coat of chapstick.

After a day like that and a tip to match it, she was visibly cocky while walking into the poker game that night.

Waverly, Doc and Wynonna were already at the table. Doc called out, “Come sit with us. We’re all set.”

Waverly said, “And no funny business.” Shaking a finger at Wynonna in particular.

Doc added slowly with a little extra twang, “A promise made is a debt unpaid.”

Nicole smirked at the reference, “Well, let’s just hope you don’t end up cursing the load because even though I know the Northern Lights have seen queer sights, I’m pretty sure I’m not the queerest one you ever did see.”

Waverly pursed her lips trying to contain a smile.

Wynonna sneaked, “Enough with the Robert Service. Anyone quoting that bastard, especially that poem, owes me one red chip.”

Doc played with his colorful stack of chips and smiled back at her with a devilish look in his eye, “It just might be worth it.”

Waverly slapped his arm, “Don’t mess with her. She might kick you out of the queen’s beehive and make you sleep in that horrible lean-to half buried behind the tool shed.”

Doc shrugged, “It’s true. I do not care for sleeping underground, if I can avoid it.”

“Is that all I am to you? A way to stay above ground at night?” Wynonna took a swig of whiskey, dismissing her own objections, “Beats being your soulmate, I guess.”

“You guess…”

The odd ones out shared a good long cringe. Nicole spoke first, “So I recall a twenty dollar buy-in. Right?”

Wynonna was quick. “As _I_ recall, you saw a pod of orcas while kayaking with the same ladies who took my archery class this afternoon. I’m guessing you’re feeling flush tonight. Wanna make it fifty?”

Nicole rubbed the back of her neck, “Ah yes, the orca bonus.” She paused feeling pretty good about the way her summer savings were piling up. Maybe her camper might have enough headroom to stand up in after all. “Let’s keep it friendly. Twenty’s still something. Right?”

“Pfft. Fine. Your call. Just as long as we’re playing poker. No trivia.”

“Deal.”

“Now that that’s settled, I’m thinking Texas Hold ‘em.” Doc dealt the cards while Waverly turned on some music.

The stakes became high quickly and Nicole was thankful for a lucky draw that gave her three queens.  She ended up winning that hand and re-establishing a footing for the night. She bet cautiously and folded often. All the while, conversation drifted around gossip about the latest guests and all the typical things they did.

Wynonna asked, “How many fish do you think you’ve gutted this summer?”

Nicole shook her head, “The summer’s only half over, but I’d say easily two hundred fish. Luckily, I keep my knife sharp and have started to set up an assembly line for the fishing trips.”

She stayed on the round and then said, “At this point, I’d rather gut the fish than eat it.”

Wynonna laughed, “Well, that’s something new.”

“I don’t think I could ever give up milk or eggs, but I’ve eaten enough salmon for at least five years. Maybe ten.”

On the next round Nicole folded while Waverly bet ten dollars. She gleefully took the pot with no one else calling and said, “Maybe I should bluff more often.”

Wynonna said, “Totally. Go big or go home.”

Nicole gave her neighbor’s leg a little squeeze, silently mouthing the words, “I recommend you play it safe.”

Waverly said, “How are you still awake, Cinderella? You’ve been up since what: four o’clock?”

Nicole nodded.

Waverly said, “Let me guess, you had a power nap.”

“I didn’t want to miss poker night.” _And other reasons._

Waverly raised her eyebrows knowingly, “Now that you’re in the club.”

Wynonna interrupted, “What club?”

Nicole answered boldly, “The men and women who moil for gold.”

Wynonna held up her hand with a beer still intact and pointed, “Pay the piper. One red token. And just to set the record straight, I don’t moil. It’s more of an imaginative pursuit of monetary reward.” And just like that, Wynonna had a flush, which was— by far— the best hand of the night.

Nicole looked at her watch. It was already 10 o’clock. “It’s getting late for me.” A yawn appeared out of nowhere.

Wynonna said, “Come on. Play a few more rounds. It’s no fun if we have to split up the pot. Don’t you wanna go all in? I promise your carriage won’t turn into a pumpkin for at least two more hours”

Nicole smiled, “I get it. My money’s always good here.  Two more hands and then I’m done.”

In the last two rounds, Nicole cautiously preserved her chips and cashed out with $12 at the end of the night. She offered to help clean up but was excused with warm good nights all around.

Nicole was halfway to the bunkhouse when she heard footsteps rushing her way.

It was Waverly, “I realized, I never said _thank you_.” She moved closer realizing the after-hours quiet rules and whispered. “For the peaches.”

Nicole felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She leaned back against the wall, “Well, you seemed willing to risk your job for one dumb peach, so it seemed like the least I could do.”

Waverly spoke quietly, but her annoyance was still audible. “Really? _The least you could do_?”

“I’d hate for you to lose your job. Who’d make me warm cookies and banana bread?”

“Y’know, _forget it.”_ Waverly sighed as she let go of one notion and picked up another. “I don’t know what I was thinking chasing after you. Clearly, you’re just a cocky pilot.” Her temper flared. “And even worse— a heartless, imperialistic, meat-eater.”

Nicole wiped the hair off her face, “It’s getting pretty late Waves. I’m glad you like the peaches. But maybe the moral judgement can wait until the morning.”  She smiled and looked back nonchalantly

“No…You… “ Waverly nostrils flared, “You make fun of the astrology and I can live with that. The vegan thing. No one takes me seriously. But then the creek and the bear and I don’t know what I was thinking, giving you a second chance and _saying thank you_ when clearly…”

Nicole shook her head softly, realizing she’d pushed the needle too far.

Waverly was serious.

Nicole back pedaled, whispering, “No, no, no. That’s not it.” She wished like the devil she could turn back time and say something else. She could feel the moment slipping away to misunderstandings.

A pair of guests walked on the planks around the corner. Nicole could hear them approach and didn’t want to miss her chance. She pulled Waverly into an alcove for some privacy and a chance to explain.

She whispered, half listening to the steps fading away, “Waverly, in all honesty, I don’t think you’re silly. Or even misguided. I am just a dumb, cocky pilot after all. What the F do I know?” She gave Waverly’s hand a squeeze, wrinkling her forehead with sincerity. “Actually I love the way you stand up for what you think is right. It’s admirable.”

Waverly bit her lip. “Really?”  

“Of course, really.” She swallowed hard, pushing down her guard and her instinct to act tough. In the moment with Waverly less than an arms-length away, Nicole was being honest, and the feeling was heavier than anyone could ever see. Her heart shown through her eyes as she paused. She saw Waverly’s eyes clearly looking right back. She felt like Waverly could maybe see her real feelings laid bare in that lingering gaze, all the unspoken yearning underneath the few simple words.

Nicole looked down, still not knowing if she would be left carrying the weight of that truth alone.

When she turned her eyes back up to meet Waverly’s, time slowed.

She could see Waverly in the moonlight.

At the same time that the earth stood still for Nicole, Waverly kept moving closer and closer, defying the frivolous notion that time could ever stop.

Once their lips met, the kiss quickly became something more, like breaking free after being trapped underwater. All the tensions that had been building for weeks suddenly let loose.

Waverly tasted like champagne and peaches. She kissed Nicole with her lips and her hands at the same time, pulling her closer and tugging at her neck. Nicole leaned in, wanting more. The kiss broke for an instant and Nicole asked breathily, “Is this a bad idea?”

Waverly teased her, holding her lips a whisper away. “A very bad idea.”

Seconds later, Nicole was holding Waverly against the wall, with hands that travelled up the woman’s torso in waves, kneading their way up, inch by inch, finally meeting the curve of Waverly’s breasts. She lightly bit Wavely’s lip and tugged. The kiss opened and their tongues moved together. Waverly's hand was at the back of her head, pulling the hair and at the same time holding her close.

There was the feeling of a fight and letting go all at once. Nicole could tell she wasn’t the only one lost in the fall. Waverly slid her hands inside Nicole’s shirt and then pushed Nicole back a few steps, walking with her. First with her fingertips, tracing the line between skin and cloth she’d just crossed. Nicole stumbled slightly, hitting her back against the opposite wall. Moments later, Waverly’s lips found her neck, marking a path from point A-to-B with long, languid kisses that eventually found their way to Nicole’s earlobe. Suddenly, Nicole felt a trick of the tongue on her skin that quickly travelled down her spine and around her core, like a liquid spark. It almost burned as it spiralled down, leaving a throbbing ache in its wake. Nicole gasped and squeezed Waverly’s hips hard, and then more gently, pushing her inches away so their mouths could meet again.

After scratching Nicole’s back with her nails Waverly grabbed the button of Nicole’s pants and pulled them open. She slid her hand down the front right in that space, finding the warmth she was looking for.

Nicole looked up to the sky and leaned into the touch of Waverly's whole palm and one finger in particular. “Fuck.”

Nicole blinked slowly and let this feeling sink in. She slid her hands down to Waverly’s hips and bent to touch her forehead lightly to Waverly’s, She leaned in, with her cheek, reacting to the pulse of her touch.

Waverly's mouth was back on Nicole’s neck. Her teeth and tongue matching the rhythm of her hand,

They both froze when they heard a glass break in the distance. The noise was followed by the unmistakable sounds of Wynonna and Doc fumbling.

Nicole lightly grabbed Waverly’s wrists and sighed slowly with her heart pounding like a drum. She struggled to stand, while she caught her breath. She stepped to the side giving Waverly space, but the woman followed her, leaning in close to a warm embrace, while they both listened to the shenanigans.

Nicole could smell Waverly’s hair and felt her body pressing against her. Their fingers intertwined.

Suddenly there was talking. Wynonna and Doc had run into a guest who was asking about constellations. Wynonna called out, “Baby girl, where are you?  Yoo-hoo.”

The pair stood silently, sliding back to the shadows as Wynonna walked their direction. Waverly gave Nicole’s hand a little squeeze.

Wynonna never found them. Instead she walked back empty handed.

Waverly let out a long silent sigh of relief when she finally heard Wynonna say, “You’ll have to go it on your own, cowboy. Looks like she’s out for the night.”

Once the coast was clear, the women tip-toed back to the bunkhouse.

Waverly never turned on the lights, afraid to lose the moment. Nicole followed suit, ripping off her clothes without saying a word. Together, they held onto that spark and fed it eagerly, not daring to let any wind blow it out.

 

**Delectable Hummus**

Pressure cook

1c Dried Garbanzo Beans

1T smoked paprika

1 T salt

3 Bay Leaves

Water

2 cloves garlic

 

Purée cooked beans in food processor with

¼ c Olive oil

½ c Pine nuts

½ c chopped scallions

¼ c Tahini

¼ c chopped fresh parsley

1 t salt

 

Top with drizzle of fresh premium olive oil, toasted pine nuts, cherry tomatoes sliced in half and a little extra parsley

Serve with pita, cucumber and sliced carrots

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for the chip recommendations. I'll be on the lookout at my local convenience store.


	7. As If Either of Them Could Resist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another typical morning on Kodiak Island with the sound of rain on the roof and the sun coming into the window a little earlier than anyone would want… Typical, except that everything, all of a sudden, felt different and new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late post folx.  
> Thanks to LuckyWantstoKnow for beta-ing

 

The next morning, Waverly woke to an empty bed, or what some might call a mattress, on the floor of the bunkhouse.

Nicole’s F OFF face mask was carefully tucked near her outstretched hand with a note.

 

_W-_

_I’ll tell Doc to cover for you at breakfast so you can sleep in._

_XOXO_

_\- Your favorite GOAT_

 

They’d been up late.

Waverly read the note and then pulled on the mask on. It was a relief to shield out the faint morning light whispering to her as she drifted off to sleep.

She smiled as she dozed off— thinking of the note, the night and that goddamn cocky pilot Nicole Haught.

Waverly once read a thing about girls’ first kisses. The writer said _,”…we kissed the way you kiss when you’re three minutes away from fucking.”_ When she’d read it, she knew immediately what the writer meant. Thinking back on the way Nicole pushed her against the wall last night— that was how she felt.

In the bunkhouse three minutes later, Nicole grabbed the mattress from the bottom bunk with both hands and pulled it onto the floor.

Waverly climbed on and then leaned back on her elbows.  In seconds Nicole was on top of her. The lights were off, but the moon was just bright enough. Shining through the windows, she could see the shape of the shoulders she was kissing.

More than the sight, though, she remembered the feelings racing through her, electric and instinctive. She thought of the raised peaks of Nicole’s nipples, wet and hardening in her mouth. The softness of Nicole’s hair, tight between her fingers as she gave into Nicole’s mouth and hands. She was sore and sated.

Waverly was languid and lost in these memories, as she drifted off to sleep.

She woke an hour later to the sound of rain falling on the bunkhouse roof. Outside, she could hear Doc’s voice, loading trash into bins and giving Curtis an inventory for the upcoming weekend. All around her, things were moving along completely unaware of what had just happened.

The air was a little cool and she wished Nicole were next to her. She grabbed a oversized t-shirt and towel to head to the shower and started to wonder, _Will this be happening again?_ She remembered Nicole’s smile and the stars in the sky told her yes it could.

The telltale signs that Nicole had travelled this same path a couple of hours ago still remained.

There was a small puddle on the bathroom floor. Nicole’s toothbrush and toothpaste sat precariously at the edge of the sink.

Waverly turned on the water and looked at her face in the mirror as the water warmed.

She pointed a finger at her reflection, “You looked fucked.”

She groaned and gritted her teeth with a million different feelings. Making noises didn’t make them go away.

The memories lingered in her hair and hands.

Every inch of her body had been given a jolt that persisted all these hours later. She pushed her hair off her face with one last moment to savor those memories before stepping into the shower.

The sound of the water in the shower mixed with growing sounds of rain. Waverly hummed and sang a bit as she washed her hair. Everything was a tangled mess, but the sparks in her heart managed to stay lit, despite the gradual descent of second thoughts and misgivings.

 

———<<•>>———-

 

The first thing Doc said was, “I am glad to see you’re feeling better.”

“Sorry about that. Late night.”

Doc handed her a pair of rubber gloves. “No worries little lady. I saw your first class doesn’t start till 11:00 so saved the breakfast dishes for you. After that, consider your debt paid in full. What kept you up so late anyway?”

Waverly felt her stomach churn as she came up with a lie on the fly. “Just stargazing. Saturn’s rings. You know me. I just can’t get enough of Mother Nature and last night was no different. Except of course, that I lost track of time and stayed up later than usual. Haha.”

“Right. Well, I hope you can get back to your breakfast duties tomorrow without any celestial interference.”

“Absolutely. No doubt about it.”

Once Doc was out of sight, Waverly sunk into the counter. She hated lying and needed a chance to collect herself. Before getting to the dishes, she checked the schedule for Nicole’s whereabouts.

Kitchen duties called back to her, but all the while her mind was elsewhere. A stream of thoughts filled her head. She imagined Nicole’s aviators. She thought back to the way the two of them had been slammed together in the walk-in. She had to stop for a second at the chasm between her initial reaction to Nicole’s stupid “ambidextrous” t-shirt and the reality of the two of them coming together in a knot of shared passion on the bunkhouse floor.

She thought about Nicole’s tenderness and the taste of her lips in the moments after.

Her brain detoured to the night Nicole stitched up that guy spread out on one of the long dining room tables. Waverly was surprised it took her so long to see that side of Nicole when it had been there from the beginning.

And now.

Wow.

Well, it was almost all she could think about.

What a giver. Phew, Waverly squinted her eyes into a blur of imagination, fully coming to terms with the word “top” in a whole new light. _Yeah, so that’s what that is all about._ She nodded to herself, absentmindedly washing the dishes, while the definition sunk in and found a comfortable place in to her ever-widening worldview.

Nicole was steady and sure. That was obvious. But what Waverly could see now was her soulfulness.

It was there in the soft way she’d accepted the shenanigans at the poker table. When she’d pulled Waverly out of the raging water and held her close, shielding her from the bear.

It was unlike Waverly to go to bed with someone she barely knew. Yesterday, she might have said she _barely knew_ Nicole, but she was wrong.

She knew Nicole. Still, she wanted to get to know more.

Moments later Wynonna breezed by.  When she spotted Waverly, she huffed, “Hey daydreamer.”

“Hey Wynonna.”

“Doc said you’d missed breakfast. Not cool, baby girl.”

Waverly shook her head and sighed. “It won’t happen again.”

Wynonna shook her finger disapprovingly and walked away raising her voice as she went to account for the distance, “It better not.  It must be a real bitch having your big sister as your boss.”

 

When the cleanup was done, the rain had also moved on, leaving low gray clouds and slow drips from the eaves. Waverly made room in front of the fireplace for her 11 o’clock yoga class. From the lodge’s big picture windows, she could see Nicole’s plane making waves on the bay.

After class was over, Waverly said a quick namaste and checked her face in a hallway mirror before heading back to the bunkhouse. She felt her stomach tighten when she touched her hand to the door knob. She went in anyway, cautiously turning the handle.

Nicole was asleep. Or had been. She murmured, “Mmm, hi Waves.”

“I’m not bothering you, am I?”

“C’mere.” Nicole stayed in sleep mode, but she slid back to the far side of the bunk and made room for Waverly to slide in.

A meek voice said, “I’m all sweaty.”

Nicole took off her eye mask, barely inching her head off the pillow, “Oh yeah, you are.” She patted the bed with her hand.

Waverly climbed in, easing into Nicole’s arms and taking the unspoken invitation to rest her head on Nicole’s shoulder. They lay still.

Waverly listened to Nicole’s heartbeat and watched her breathing rise and fall.

She slid her knee up to wrap around Nicole. Ever so slightly, Nicole’s thumb traced a path on her back. Gradually Nicole’s whole hand was following the curve of Waverly’s back, with Waverly leaning into the touch.

Nicole whispered, “You’re ruining my power nap.”

“I am?” Waverly slid her hand along Nicole’s rib cage.

“You know you are.”

Waverly sprinkled kisses along Nicole’s jaw, “You know you like it.”

Nicole effortlessly moved Waverly onto her back and slid her nose along the bridge of Waverly’s. Waverly closed her eyes and took in the smell of rain and sea air falling from Nicole’s hair.

Their lips brushed lightly before coming together in a slow delicate kiss that sent shivers up and down Waverly’s spine. She lifted her hand to Nicole’s cheek, and then reached her fingers around the back of her neck, pulling her closer in the most gradual way, savoring the taste and touch. She opened her mouth, lightly touching her tongue to Nicole’s upper lip. Nicole pushed against Waverly’s mouth with a single lip and pulled delicately at Waverly’s smile, deepening the kiss with each move making an invitation to the next.

Waverly opened her eyes slightly, seeing the smile she felt on Nicole’s lips. She pulled her closer with her legs and arms in a single motion. Nicole’s center pushed up against her.

Just as Waverly was trying to figure out the fastest way to get out of her yoga gear, Nicole’s watch let out a little ribbit.

Nicole moved her lips away from Waverly and rubbed them against each other with a deep breath. She stretched out above her. “Fuck. I have to go.”

Waverly tugged at Nicole’s shirt, “Just a little longer.”

Nicole stood and tucked in her shirt, “Sorry sweet cakes. I can’t be late.”

Waverly leaned up her elbows, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Nicole tilted her head, clearly touched but shook her head, “No, I got it. See ya.” She straightened her collar and came back to Waverly for a little peck before heading out the door.

As she turned and went, Waverly muttered to herself, “ _Way to be super clingy, Earp. Jeez louise. Take a chill pill.”_ She buried her face under the covers.

Seconds later, she heard the door knob twist. It was Nicole, “Actually, if the offer still stands, I could use a hand.”

“Lead the way.”

“This shouldn’t take long, but I would love an extra pair of hands. One wheel of the cart is on its last legs and I’m trying to make it last.”

They rounded the corner to the ice machine. “Here we are.” The green ice chest was waiting for her, right where she’d left it.

Waverly crossed her arms and kicked herself, “Nicole, now that we’re on friendly terms, do you think you can explain this gawdawful sticker?”

“You mean my money maker?” She opened the chest and gestured to the “I Love Animals” sticker with the ice scoop.

Waverly bit her cheek as she answered. “That’s the one.”

"De-licious." Nicole laughed. “Most guests love it but I can’t take credit. That’s all Dolls— the regular pilot. He set me up with this shop in Kodiak. They sell these stickers, hats, t-shirts, beer cozies. I drop off the fish. They pack it up, ship it down to the lower forty-eight in neat bundles and they give me a cut for each of the referrals. I love those guys.” By the time she was done talking, the ice chest was full. She swung the lid closed and lifted it in synch with Waverly. “You wanna t-shirt?”

“Ha, ha. Very funny.”

The walked around the lodge and towards the docks. They chatted about Jeremy and Robin’s 6:00am return to the wilderness. They both speculated on what kind of science was happening.

As they adjusted their hand holds to the narrow walkway of the dock, Nicole said “Thanks for the help.”

Waverly bit her lip. “Sorry for wrecking your nap.”

Nicole looked sideways at Waverly. She didn’t say anything for a bit. She just looked at Waverly with this smirk.

“What?!?”

Nicole shook her head, “You know good and well, you’re not sorry.”

They reach the end of the dock and set the ice chest down. Nicole’s eyes were intent. “So, do you wanna maybe retract that apology?…’cause I was kinda hoping you might want to steal some more of my precious personal time.”  The more she talked, the more she got a little glimmer in her eye, “But if you’re sorry about waking me up and driving me wild, _well…_ ” She was right in Waverly's space.

Waverly appreciated the dimple that accompanied this devious little monologue. She put her hands around Nicole’s belt buckle and pulled her even closer. “Yeh, go on.”

“I’d hate it if my irresistible charms made you do anything you’d regret.”

Waverly scowled at the comment. “You don’t ever let up do you?”

Nicole grabbed the handle of the the plane. As she propped the door open, she answered honestly. “I could. For the right girl.” She stepped inside and said, “Slide the chest over just a bit. You ready? One, two, three.”

Together they heaved the ice chest across the awkward opening. It landed with a low thud. Nicole pushed it to the back of the plane. Her head popped out, “Don’t go just yet. I’ll only be a sec.” She disappeared into the back of the plane but was back a moment later, hopping out to go back to the lodge with Waverly.

They walked slowly, Nicole with her hands in her pockets and Waverly with her arms crossed across her chest. Nicole said, “This is just a short fishing trip. I’ll be back for happy hour if you wanna hang out.”

Waverly twisted her neck to look back, “So you’re seriously…?” She stopped herself and backtracked, “I’m booked from the happy hour until after the beach fire. What did you have in mind?”

“Maybe I’ll finally get a decent nap. _If I do_ , then I’ll come see you. But I might just crash. I think I might have had two hours sleep last night. If you come back and I’m asleep, it’s possible you'll be unable to control yourself. If you decide to climb into my tiny little bunk, it’s totally a-okay with me. No apologies necessary.” As she spoke, her eyes were half on the group of fishermen headed their way. She waved hello to the men and clicked on her wilderness guide charms.

Before Waverly could compose herself and reply, Nicole winked and waved goodbye, walking to meet her guests.

  
  


 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter and no recipe this week. WTF?!!  
> All I have to offer is an article
> 
> “I kissed her the way you kiss a person when you’re maybe three minutes away from fucking.”  
> -Laneia  
>  _A+ Roundtable: The First Time We Kissed A Girl_  
>  https://www.autostraddle.com/a-roundtable-the-first-time-we-kissed-a-girl-402154/


	8. As If This Could Have Gone Any Other Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole takes a quick break from the Lodge for a wilderness fishing trip— but can her brain take a break from the memories of the night before?  
> Could yours…? I thought not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to LuckyWantstoKnow for lots of help Beta-ing

 

—————

In back of the DeHavilland, enthusiastic fishermen yelled up one question after another, asking about the spot, the bait, the tides, the right gauge of fishing line to use. Nicole assured them that everything was in good order. She went through the specifications on the lodge’s equipment for those who didn’t have their own poles and offered to switch out the tackle on anyone who was under or over powered. She knew right away that this was going to be a busy day.

Gear heads!

Okay, some people might call her a gear head, but only because she cared about having the right tools ready when she needed them. It wasn’t a quest to own the latest and greatest. She just liked for things to be aligned to their use.

Just as the thought was going through her head, she could hear the senior member of the group teasing his son-in-law for his mammoth tackle box and vest with more pockets than god intended.

 

All of this adventure amping was almost enough to distract Nicole from the thoughts of Waverly permeating her brain. Almost.

She looked at the gauges in front of her and thought about tucking Waverly’s long hair out of the way to kiss her neck.

It was a short flight. She could stay on task. Several minutes after take-off, she eyed the bay in the distance for a landing. In the back of her mind, she tried a new idea. If she couldn’t stop thinking about Waverly, she’d redirect those thoughts to be more useful. She decided to outline the sequence of events that had lead to last night. She’d known for quite some time that she had a crush on Waverly. For weeks, she relentlessly challenged Waverly at every chance she had. More recent memories tried to take her off on brief tangents, but she took back control and stayed on task.

 

Lesson one: Admit that maybe the last month’s interactions were more like flirting than anything else.

At the time, it just came naturally. There was no harm in a little flirting.

And it was a dead end.

She’d thought Waverly was straight.

A very convenient, charming and well-proportioned dead end.

And engaged.

To a Machine Gunner.

Doh!

She shook her head, snorting at the mere idea. A straight girl does not go down on you like that.

Nope.

Woo. Oh boy.

Nicole shook the distractions away with a quick shake of her head and angled the wing flaps down.  She passed back the cinnamon gum.

 

Lesson two: Trust your instincts.

She thought back to the moment that Jeremy mentioned Waverly’s ex-girlfriend. In that instant Nicole’s crush blossomed, suddenly and brilliantly.

Nicole carefully surveyed the waters for wildlife as she neared touchdown.

All the while, she remembered the way her heart sang at the news.

At the sudden possibility.

In the hour or so that followed this revelation, her lame brain made the connection back to Waverly singing an Ani frickin’ DiFranco cover at the beach fire. Her first instincts had been right. It was a bit of an embarrassment to Nicole.

Even now, she felt the same flush in the recollection, like it was only yesterday.

Wait.

It was only yesterday.

 

The DeHavilland touched down on the water as smooth as butter. As they slid across the water, the whole back of the plane cheered. Nicole steered the plane to a sandbar stacked with fallen tree trunks. She got out and tied them down with practiced efficiency. The rope in her hands made her think of the string tie on Waverly’s sweatpants, at first knotted too tight and then the shared fumbling to get it undone.

Once the plane was anchored, she called up to the fishermen who climbed onto the logs. Each had their own tactic, balancing their weight and the gear precariously as the moved across the uneven route. Nicole directed them to the narrow path from the timbers and along the shore.

 

The Arctic seashore was more captivating than ever.

Something about the air today. The walk along the water’s edge felt good. She let the newcomers take the lead and soak up the beauty without her narrating every wildflower and bit of bird song. She stopped and watched a group of emperor geese land on the water. She followed the footprints deep in the soft sand.

She took careful steps over another patch of driftwood, more weathered than the first. In the curving lines, all the softest colors of grey mixed like velvet. She set up their group at the so-called “sweet spot” on the water. Once the lines were in the water, Nicole excused herself to get some drinks from the plane.

She walked along the highest timber, balancing and enjoying the view.

 

While the fishing trip followed a familiar routine, Nicole’s imagination was knee deep into something brand new that felt like might envelop her fully. It had been less than twenty-four hours and her heart was already at full throttle.

Lesson three: Dive in.

Was that really a lesson? It certainly described what she’d done.

A few hours after getting the good news, Nicole was giving Waverly peaches like that was  _just the friendly thing to do._ Later that night, she’d popped into the poker game, eagerly and enthusiastically dragging herself away from the comfort of a good night’s rest. She preferred a steady footing and thorough preparation. She walked into the game, thinking she was ready for anything, but Waverly had surprised her.

As she walked back on the timbers, she tried to re-focus on the timeline she’d committed herself to writing. This outing was a chance to catch her breath and collect her thoughts. Her mental summary had finally reached Waverly’s thank you after the poker game. The memories were palpable on Nicole’s lips and the back of her neck. She tried to pause the pulsing excitement rushing to her cheeks and making her grin like a teenager. She half wished she could stop herself from going gaga but the other half of her still felt the charge of their bodies together.

She didn’t have any regrets.

Concerns? Maybe. Possibly.

Concerns felt like a more accurate description. She wanted to make smart choices.

Being with Waverly was no longer a hypothetical. Instead it was a real thing that happened. And would happen again soon,  _if she was lucky._

She was feeling  _pretty lucky._

Ever since their interrupted nap, Nicole’s calendar brain was mapping out ways to find time with Waverly despite their opposing schedules.

She grabbed a few water bottles and some Gatorade from the plane, filling her pockets to maximize the trip. She remembered Waverly’s suggestion to buy reusable bottles instead. The woman’s fierce set of values made her smile even more, and she knew she had it bad.

Her timeline quickly moved from the past to the future, beginning with the next twenty four hours, trying to evaluate where this thing with Waverly was headed. Every thought took her romantic heart off into some ridiculous reverie. She stopped herself and shook her head.

She’d done this kind of thing before— gone “all in” prematurely. She’d invested years in the Seals, even when she knew the odds were almost impossible. She’d moved in with Shae too soon. They’d even adopted a cat for Chrissakes. An ornery, difficult one to boot. She didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

She wanted to break an old habit of making commitments too soon.

She wanted to dabble.

_No, that wasn’t it._

She wanted to take her time and just feel things out.

She wanted to be able to try something

without knowing

what the next five or ten years

might hold.

She wanted to

let go

of her desire

to know

right now,

if

it would be

perfect

forever.

Nicole handed drinks to her guests just as they caught their first fish of the day.  It was a big one. Immediately the machismo appeared, with challenges to beat the size of this one. Then, moments later it was calculations of how many fish they’d catch at this rate if they stayed out the rest of the afternoon.

Nicole knew just what to say.

She reminded them of the limits as a way to acknowledge their ambitions, but cautioned them against anyone’s hopes getting too high. “That might be the only fish we catch all day.” She winked to the senior member of their group who appreciated her efforts to lower their expectations. The job was automatic to her at this point. It was still more fun than she’d expected. At the time she’d said yes to Dolls, she had no idea that anything else could feel like home.

A dozen salmon later, Nicole was loading the plane and departing uninhabited island #37. Her cheeks flushed at the thought of returning to lodge. Jeremy and Robin were right. Time was different here. Almost a week had passed in the last four hours.

As she settled back into her seat she remembered the first time she flew this plane. She had made a plan to spend this summer looking inward. She laughed at herself for being so monastic.

Instead of taking orders, she was supposed to be in the driver’s seat. Flying solo, right?

She knew her heart had taken the wheel. As she stared out the window, she considered whether to surrender to well-reasoned caution or to emotional uncertainty.

Or was it emotional certainty?

Yes. It was.

She could read the writing all over her. Her brain bee-lined to thoughts of her hands on Waverly. Every inch of her now had some echo of last night still pounding just beneath the surface. Her taste and touch. The only thing holding her back was the idea that her heart was not to be trusted. It made bad choices and numbed her common sense. Her Search and Rescue training taught her the power of the human heart to ignore reality— for good and bad.

 

She looked out the window at the scenery with a fleeting feeling of being in control. A feeling that she knew would leave as soon as she saw Waverly’s smile again. When she saw the outline of the Stack Bay Lodge, she knew she’d have a long disco nap and check out the beachfire. The only thing she could attempt was being in the moment and being free to decide, _at the very last minute,_ what she might do next. There was no way to know what the future might hold.

Nicole tried to let that be a good thing.

A mysterious possibility.

 

((((((((((________::::________)))))))))

 

From the edge of beachfire, Nicole watched Waverly sing familiar songs, a Jim Croce song, a little Simon and Garfunkel. Above her, the sky faded to violet blue and the sun moved on to light the other half of the planet

Waverly put her guitar in its case while Wynonna ushered guests back to the lodge and Doc put out the fire. All the while, the pair waited for the guests to make their way to the lodge and cabins, before making their move. Waverly carefully avoided eye-contact with everyone, except Nicole and Wynonna.  Non-verbally saying _please go_ to one and _please stay_ to the other.

Nicole missed the first part of the beachfire. As soon as she arrived, Waverly gave her a little smile. Once everyone else had made their way back to the lodge, Nicole came up to help Waverly fold the wool blankets, and set each on a neat stack that slowly got taller.

“Hey. Nice set.”

“Thanks.”

Nicole could hear the water in steady waves lapping at the shore. Waverly lifted the final folded blanket away from her and set it on top of the stack.

“Do you want help carrying these back?”

“And they say chivalry is dead.”

As they walked, Nicole’s voice was quiet. “The stars are nice tonight.”

“Mm, yeh. No clouds for a change.”

Waverly opened the door for Nicole, “Follow me.” They made their way through the empty kitchen, out to the hall, and past Gus’ office. The blankets fit perfectly in a shelf at the end of the hall. Waverly moved out of the way so Nicole could get through. Waverly set her hands on the stack, “You know, I’ve always wanted to go stargazing from the deck, but I stayed close the lodge because of bears. You think, maybe tonight, you and I could risk it?”

“Is this a date?”

“Well, yeah.” Waverly carried her guitar into the office. She popped her head out to clarify. “So, you’re game?”

“Um, it sounds fun.”

“And you think it’s safe?”

“After my run-ins with bears I decided to do a little research. Mostly Kodiaks are diurnal, like humans. Active in the day, asleep at night. When they’re not, it’s all about salmon spawning.”

Waverly swallowed hard at the sight of nerd Nicole.

She leaned in to hear better in the quiet of the hall.

Nicole continued, “The salmon left Stack Creek a week ago. I’d bet you a pint of vegan ice cream that Coco’s over the ridge at Jump Off the Rock Creek or the south bend. Both are red with salmon.” Waverly reached her arms around Nicole’s waist and pulled her close.

Nicole paused, but Waverly said, “Don’t stop.”

“I’ve been spotting them there recently and raking in the tips.”

“Excellent.”

“And who exactly is Coco?”

“Oh, I thought you knew. That’s Gus’ favorite mama bear.  I think we’ll have the place all to ourselves.”

“Uh-Huh.”

“But…if not… and just to be on the safe side…my buddy Dolls hooked me up with this bear spray, just in case.” Nicole tapped a canister hanging from a belt loop.

“Interesting… So, is this a long-winded way of saying yes.”

Nicole smiled. “Yes.” She looked at Waverly curiously, “What?”

“What do you mean, what?”

“You’re giving me this look.”

Waverly said, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk for so long in a single spell. I like it.”

“What can I say to that?”

“Whatever you like.”

“You might be surprised to find out. _I don’t actually like living on the wild side.”_

“I’m learning so much about you.” Waverly peeled her body off Nicole’s. “We’ll need a couple things.” She disappeared into Gus’ office and came back out with a pair of binoculars around her neck and grabbed some blankets from the stack. “Let’s do this.”

They exited the back door and looked out to the sedge flats to the deck for the best view of the stars. As they strolled, Nicole said, “Let’s just chat so we don’t sneak up on any furry friends— Nature’s best repellant, the casual drone of human voices.”

Waverly laughed, “Well, that shouldn’t be hard for me. Ha-ha.”  
Nicole waited.

“Doc calls me little miss chatterbox.”

“Excellent.” There was a pregnant pause as Nicole waited.

Waverly grabbed at straws for something to say. “So…Um, yeh…How was the fishing?” The formulaic question seemed like a poor choice for a split second but it turned out to be as anything else and got the ball rolling.

“Good.” Nicole slid her hands back into her pockets and looked over at Waverly. “Although if I’m perfectly honest, you left me a little hot and bothered earlier today. It was hard to focus on the fishing.” Nicole rubbed the back of her neck.

“Oh, I did. Did I?”

“You know good and well you did.” Nicole smiled and pushed Waverly with her shoulder lightly.

“Well, you’re the one who popped up like a pop tart when your alarm went off. The only thing on my mind was how to get out of my yoga clothes fast enough.”

They both blushed.

“Fair point. I can take full responsibility for my own decisions. However poorly made.”

“So, are you saying you’d do it differently if it happens again?”

“Hmm…Is this a trick question?”

Waverly shook her head. “Nope. Just a question.”

“Strictly hypothetical?”

“Yep. Well, mildly hypothetical.”

”Can you give me odds? ‘Cause you and I have a bad track record when it comes to betting.”

“I’d say the odds are good, as long as you A. Don’t steal my chocolate and B. Keep bringing me fruit.”

“Interesting … I agree to point B, but as to point A, I…”

“And look at that, we’re here.” Waverly deftly interrupted Nicole’s objection and lifted her arm to present the deck in all its star soaked glory. “Tada!”

A few minutes ago, back at the Lodge, Nicole was worried they might not have enough in common to talk the full length of the walk. But it had been so easy. And nice. She remembered her decision to be in the moment, rather than two steps ahead, So far, it seemed to be working. She’d successfully navigated ten minutes of conversation alone with Waverly.

She helped lay out one of the blankets, looking out to the sloping meadow above and the rocky beach below.

Waverly rubbed her hands together, “You know this is where I like to do my yoga classes, right?” She knelt down, rolling up an edge to make a pillow.

“Mmm, I may have seen you.”

“May have? Come on Nicole.” She winked. “The jig is up. Just admit that you’ve …” Waverly stopped, “… nope nevermind. Here.” She patted the blanket and lay down on half. ”Instead of me putting words in your mouth, let's check out the stars. Maybe some rings of Saturn.”

“Whatever you say.”

Waverly smirked and scanned Nicole’s figure lying next to her, just grazing the edges with her fingertips.

Waverly lay down, face up and eyeing the stars. She sighed. “Isn’t this amazing?”

Nicole saw what she meant. The stars were layered with a billion tiny dots and half a billion more brighter pin pricks of light. The Milky Way was easy to see. As Nicole considered its shape in the night sky, she could imagine all of space and our little planet hanging onto the fraying edge of the galaxy. “You know, Jeremy was telling me he had an epiphany on one of the islands. He pointed out that the stars are here all the time. We just can’t see them when the sun is out.”

“Mm, yeh. Pretty crazy, right?”

“Cause the stars don’t look like this in Tacoma. Or Arlington. Or anywhere else I’ve been in a while.”

They were quiet for a bit with their bodies just barely touching and the faces looking up at the stars. The silence felt natural.

Nicole grabbed Waverly’s hand. “I like the quiet but I think it’s good bear smarts to keep talking.”

Waverly squeezed her hand, “For bear safety? Okay. How would you feel if I showed you the zodiac?”

“Alright. Hit me.”

Waverly pointed out constellations starting with Scorpio and then Libra, while Nicole listened carefully.

“No Orion?”

“Not in the summer.”

“Do you want to see Saturn’s rings?” Waverly pressed the binoculars to her face. She was working the focus dial as she spoke.

“Can you really see them?”

“Sure.” Waverly passed over the binoculars and scooted ever closer to Nicole. She pointed up to the planets first. Nicole’s eye followed the line in sky marked by Waverly’s hand, but her heart was pounding at this sudden closeness. Waverly’s face was millimeters away from Nicole’s. She could tell in Waverly's voice that she felt it too. Her cadence slowed as she worked to stay focused on the task at hand.

Nicole saw the star.  No wait. She saw _the planet_ and put the binoculars up to her eyes.

Waverly whispered. “Just take your time.” She set her hand on Nicole’s waist, unbuttoning a couple buttons and sliding her hand into Nicole’s shirt.

“You are a little distracting.”

“Oh am I?” She stopped and kept her hand still. “I’ll wait. I want you to see this. It takes a while for your eyes to adjust. I’ll get us another blanket.”

Nicole stopped stargazing. “Those cut-offs aren’t helping.”

Waverly spun on her knee, pushed Nicole down from the elbow she was leaning on and pointed back up to the stars. “It’s the yellowish one in Sagittarius.”

Nicole settled back down on her back and reoriented herself to the stars. Finally, she aligned the binoculars with the yellow of the planet. She saw the blurry edges, somewhat oblong. She lifted her arms as Waverly pulled a blanket over them both, but held her gaze steady on the famous planet so far away. And then, as she held her breath to stay perfectly still, the rings were just barely there. “I see ‘em.”

“Yeah?” Waverly gave her a little squeeze.

“Yeah.” Nicole lost the clarity for a moment and the regained it again as she froze her body. She sighed and set down the binoculars on the opposite side of her. “Wow. Who knew all it took was a pair of binoculars.”

“Right. Now you have another trick up your sleeve on the way to becoming Alaska’s number one lady wilderness guide.”

“Lady wilderness guide?!? Just when I thought we’d set aside the name calling.” Nicole poked Waverly’s side and gave it a squeeze.

“That’s not what _I’d_ call you. That’s what _they would_ call you.”

“Ugh, you’re right. I’ll give you that. What _would you call me then_?”

Waverly’s face was inches away. She smiled as the air between them thickened and considered the question with the tension building, “Hmmm, so many possibilities. And ways to get you all riled up. And yet….I’m not quite sure.”  She returned to undoing buttons, even as Nicole arms wrapped around her. “We could just say wilderness guide.” She slid her the tip of her nose along the bridge of Nicole’s.

“Uh Huh. I would be okay with that.”

“Bush pilot?”

“Accurate.”

“Meat eater.”

Nicole shook her head, “Omnivore. I also like cookies and breads.”

They would kiss slowly and then move away for a moment, peeling away a layer and keeping up the chatter to shield them from the wilderness.

“Tall.”

“Always in the back row of class photos.” Nicole’s voice was getting breathless as the kisses got longer between the words.

“Messy but somehow able to make a bed with corners tighter than Lena Waithe’s new haircut.” Waverly rolled on top of Nicole, nearly naked and shimmering in the starlight.

“Military training.” Nicole lifted her leg as Waverly ground down on her thigh.

“American.”

“Uh-Huh.” Nicole’s answer came as she undid her bra and tucked it under the edge of the blanket. She used the moment to twist and get on top of Waverly.

“I’m from Alberta.”

“I know.”

“You know. Of course you know. Cocky, as always.”

“Aw, I thought you liked that about me.” Nicole hands circled Waverly’s breasts slipping the bra strap off her shoulder.

“I’m …” Waverly stopped suddenly as Nicole’s mouth engulfed her nipple. “I’m…” Just when she thought she might be able to talk, the woman’s tongue pulled her off track. As Nicole switched sides, Waverly swallowed hard ”… not ready to divulge my opinions yet.”

Nicole took her time before speaking. “What about heartless?”

“Oh no, I take that back. Definitely not heartless.” She whispered between racing heartbeats, “I’m sorry I ever said that. You’re not.”

Nicole’s hand slid between Waverly’s legs with Waverly leaning into the touch.

“I’m glad. I’m practically wearing my heart on my sleeve.”

“What sleeve?”

“Uh-Huh.”

“One thing we should set straight before this goes too far.” Nicole slid the button open, pushing the zipper down until her finger hit the edge of Waverly’s panties.

“Yes, anything.”

“You’re the ONE who stole chocolate from me.”

“Fine. Yes.” Nicole rewarded this admission with a warm touch that found Waverly wet and swollen with desire. She moved slowly, only occasionally grazing the clit that craved her touch.

Waverly leaned harder into those moments, straining to get what she wanted. “You’re cocky, but honest. 100%.”

“That almost sounds like a compliment.” Nicole found her clit with her thumb and pressed into Waverly’s core all too briefly.

Waverly said, ”Are you satisfied with yourself yet?”

“Not yet. Not even close… “ Nicole tasted Waverly on her fingers, taking them all the way into her mouth. “Unless you want me to stop?”

“No. Don’t.”

Nicole helped Waverly with her cut-offs, followed quickly by their last stray bits of clothing. She shimmied down Waverly’s body and started to pull a leg over her shoulder.

Waverly watched Nicole tease her with kisses along the inside of her thigh. “So far, you’re very giving.”

“Uh-Huh.” The kisses migrated quickly with Waverly’s less than subtle encouragement.

“And generous.” It was getting harder to talk with a sudden graze of Nicole tongue, but Waverly did what she could to stick to the plan. “And, um.”

Nicole didn’t reply with words. Her mouth was tender and full, in synch with the rise and fall of Waverly’s hips. “And um.”

Nicole’s tongue found her entrance. Waverly’s voice deepened and came out in a long, faint sigh, “So intuitive.”

Nicole took the moment to admire Waverly in the starlight. “If you can’t find the words, I’m sure any noise’ll do to keep the bears away.” Waverly moved into her touch, wordlessly pulling Nicole’s mouth right where it belonged.

Into the quiet stirring of the Alaskan night, Waverly’s voice shook the branches.“Fu-u-u-ck… Yes…”

 

________]]_::_[[________

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter in about a month guys. It's sad to say farewell to Kodiak.


	9. As If Chapter Titles Really Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second half of summer.
> 
> Alaska does its thing like clockwork— every morning— and it's keeping our love birds on their toes. Now that Waverly and Nicole are sharing a bed, a brand new array of possibilities appear on the horizon, none of which Waverly was prepared to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist with all the songs from this fic and more  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/39KMuCOS7sDiyLhdgboot8

* * *

 

In the week that followed, Waverly first stirred each morning with a smile and a half-grumpy groan at the sound of Nicole’s alarm. A pair of warm hands would gently peel Waverly out of the cuddle, and Waverly would fall back to sleep without a second thought.

She woke again, for real, a few hours later. 

Each morning a fresh delivery of feelings came to Waverly, like emotional room service. The conscious awareness of each sentiment arrived one by one: One warm cup of gently fucked bliss, a steamy bowl of local, organic affection, a few misgivings washed down with a glass of freshly squeezed excuses—  excuses for Nicole’s stinky airplane and her obvious misunderstanding of shower etiquette, and excuses for herself, the one and only Waverly Earp, for why she’d not told Wynonna one iota of what was actually going on with her and Haught. And then, she’d typically savor one final sip of bliss, still warm and satisfying. She’d soak in the hints of Nicole’s shampoo lingering on the pillow, sending warm thoughts up her spine.

None of these thoughts were too big or fraught for Waverly. Each came, unbidden, yet flowing naturally from one to the other in the same sequence each morning.

By the end of the week, she’d carved out a big spot in her heart for Nicole. Every time the women met and talked, that space in Waverly’s heart seemed to get a bit bigger. Her initial disbelief slowly faded away, leaving in its place a sense that Nicole Haught might be the real deal. They’d start talking about the lodge and daily adventures. Over time, Waverly was seeing that she and Nicole did not have such radically different ideas of the world. She heard a bit about Search and Rescue. Little stories naturally lead to other memories and they were slowly getting to know each other. 

 

One night, Waverly shared a complicated story about the week leading up to her high school homecoming dance. Embarrassment at her full-on campaign to win the crown faded in Nicole’s obvious affection. Waverly ended the story with her usual self-deprecating style, “So now you know I’m actually a big dork and very competitive.”

Nicole didn’t say anything back, she just smiled, making Waverly a bit nervous, “What? What’s that face for?”

Nicole laced their fingers together and leaned in to whisper, “I already knew…”

Waverly pulled back an inch, while still holding onto one hand, “You already knew! You little rat.”

“From you, should I take that as a compliment?”

Waverly’s eyes narrowed and she pushed Nicole down on the bed, “No,” she said, “it’s not a compliment.” Her eyes took in Nicole’s face. Nicole looked back. Their gazes stayed steady, softening moment-by-moment. Waverly noticed again the flecks of gold in the deep brown of Nicole’s eyes. She smiled slowly as Nicole’s expression changed almost imperceptibly from slightly unsure to a calm acceptance of whatever might come next. 

The hint of a smile on Waverly’s face, brought a smile to Nicole’s as well. With her free hand, she pulled Waverly closer. She whispered again, “Too bad, because I really like you.” 

Waverly leaned into Nicole. She invited soft kisses on her temple and then across her forehead. Nicole slipped a strand of hair behind Waverly’s ear and whispered again, “A lot.”

Waverly was in the moment. She wasn’t comparing this feeling to any other or worrying about what might happen next. She wasn’t in the middle of one Sanskrit chant, but she was so perfectly at peace. 

And there. 

Right there.

Nicole’s hands were on her waist, caressing her ribcage, following the curves under Waverly’s t-shirt. Holed up like this, the two of them grew closer, without anyone at the lodge being all the wiser. 

 

Each morning, alone on the mattress on the floor Waverly left the present moment. She had time to reconsider the night behind her and to imagine what might happen next. Each morning, she let these thoughts roll over her.

Sadly, breakfast would not flow so easily into her room, floating on a tray like a dream. 

No. 

Unlike the satisfied ponderings of a woman on the cusp of a new relationship, breakfast required a slightly more active approach. Waverly knew she had to feed herself and twenty or so lodge guests in approximately fifty-eight minutes. 

She washed away any lingering speculations in the shower and headed out to work with a clear head.

After a week of slow schedules and languid nights, the lodge had a busy week that followed with a challenging change of pace.

August had arrived. It was official.

Everyone in the world suddenly decided it was time to wring every last drop of fun out of summer.

Nicole went from a week in Stack Bay to four full nights away, first to Raspberry and then further west on the archipelago. 

Waverly distracted herself with extended sets around the campfire and a long night of poker with Wynonna and Doc. In between yoga classes and lodge duties, she and Wynonna set up a spot for axe-throwing as a new “sport” for the late afternoon lull. Curtis was skeptical, but once Wynonna assured him drinks would not be served, he warmed to the idea.

In the back of her mind, Waverly was counting down the days until Nicole would be back at the lodge. Throwing axes was a fun way to pass the time. After a few sessions, she’d actually gotten pretty good.

Her bedtimes left Waverly wondering what it meant to be falling for Nicole.

She tried not to think about the end of summer and instead focused on the end of the week, when Nicole would be back.

Finally, the day arrived. 

Waverly knew from the clipboard in the hall that Nicole would drop off a group of four in Kodiak mid-day, and then return with a huge order of food, supplies and fresh laundry. In fact, Waverly wasn’t the only one counting the hours till the pantry could be stocked up. 

When Nicole’s plane first appeared over the skies at Stack Bay, Waverly strode out to the dock to help. 

Waverly whistled long and low at the vision of Nicole Haught in aviators unloading the plane. “Hey hot stuff.” 

“I thought that was Wynonna’s line.”

“I can’t help it. You’re a sight for sore eyes.” 

“Just don’t get too close. I haven’t had a shower in almost a week.”

“That might be difficult.” Waverly snuck a peck onto Nicole’s check and helped her unload cold-packed boxes. In a bucket brigade, they stacked a dolly and headed straight to the walk-in before the ice cream could melt. Waverly walked alongside Nicole, carefully clearing a path for the boxes of Omaha steaks, Ore-Ida Tater Tots and Washington Apple Pies. 

“Speaking of looking good. Woah Waverly, nice shirt.  The way you’re wearing it, does it even count as a shirt? And those cut-offs you’re wearing, they…” Before Nicole could finish, she stopped, seeing Wynonna and a small family headed their way. 

“What?” Waverly whispered with a devious look in her eye.

Nicole didn’t speak, but her face said it all.

As Wynonna walked by, she stopped and distributed lollipops from her pocket, “We’re headed out, you know, just for the halibut.”

Waverly knew the line and followed up with her own lodge joke, “Last time Curtis was out there, he found a really good spot. He marked an **x** on the bottom of the boat, so you should be able to find it again, no problem.”

“Shhh Waverly. Don’t get these poor folks’ hopes up. Curtis’ boat is too slow for me and beside, it needs a major repair. We’re taking the Boston Whaler instead.” Wynonna turned back to her guests, “Don’t listen to my sister. We’ll find the fishees, even without that darn **x**.”

Nicole tried to restrain her smile as the two parties went in opposite directions down the dock.

Nicole followed Waverly all the way to the walk-in freezer, noticing an extra sway in her hips as she walked, with the Tootsie Pop adding to the show. At the door to the large fridge, Waverly peeked out to see if anyone was around and closed the door behind them.

Nicole smiled at the sight in front of her. Waverly leaned into Nicole’s chest as she whispered, “You know…you’re not the only one who likes the cut-offs. Every time I wear these at the beach fire my tips go boop-boop-boop.” As she spoke, she bopped her lollipop side-to-side. “If you’ve got it, why not flaunt it?”

Nicole smirked, “Look who’s cocky now.” 

Waverly reached her arms around Nicole’s shoulders and rested her forearms there. “You're not suggesting I stop, are you?”

Nicole traced the tip of Waverly’s nose with her own and whispered. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Good.” They kissed and then Waverly whispered the truth to Nicole, “I missed you.”

Those words were all it took. Waverly dropped the lollipop on the shelf and let Nicole lift her slightly in a passionate kiss, almost knocking over the stack of boxes behind her. The two changed their angle to find an inch of room near the door. The cold metal of the freezer met the warmth of their bodies. The loud coolant fan blocked out the sounds of the world. For that moment, it was just the two of them. They were swept up in each other, perfectly hidden away.

Until.

Doc swung open the door, “Holy Golden Horseshoes.”

The two women stepped back from each other and Waverly straightened her hair. “Um, hello Doc.”

Nicole slid her hands into her rear pockets and rolled up on her heels, “Hi.” Her eyebrows stayed unnaturally high on her forehead, as she tried to act normal.

Doc turned to the ground and then looked back up to the ladies, “I see my pantry isn’t the only thing getting restocked this afternoon.” He laughed slightly with a glint in his eyes. He looked around and then said, “It’s pretty tight quarters in here, so I think it’s best if I excuse myself.” With a tip of the hat, he was gone.

Nicole and Waverly looked at each other. Waverly grimaced, “Okay, so… that was awkward.”

Nicole pressed her lips together and wrinkled her eyebrows. “Maybe we catch up later?” She rubbed the back of her neck and then grabbed the box of steaks at the top of the stack. She loaded the boxes into the labelled locations on the shelves behind her.

Waverly half-heartedly sorted the frozen pies and looked over to Nicole. “I’ve been looking at our schedules and there’s nothing too crazy going on tonight, if you wanna hang out.”

Nicole looked at her fiercely and spoke very slowly, “Oh yeah. I have a few things I have to do first, but I totally wanna hang out.”

Waverly blushed, “Good. Great. Me too.”

Waverly’s hand was on the door handle to go, but Nicole stopped her for a second, “I brought you some huckleberries. They’re in the Beaver, but I’ll leave them in your locker for later.”

Waverly leaned back in for one final kiss, “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re amazing?”

“No one as pretty as you.”

Waverly left with a skip in her step. She waved to Doc as she passed his way. He called her over, “So, I guess she’s not mad about the little varmint anymore?”

“Nope.” Waverly grabbed a dish towel and fidgeted with it.

“So, does this mean we won’t be seeing you at axe throwing under a full moon tonight?”

“Sorry Doc. We… Not we. _I_ definitely have other plans.”

“Any chance Wynonna is aware of your plans?”

“Ha. Yes, about that. Can you let me tell her?”

“Absolutely Waverly dear. That is entirely your prerogative.”

 

—-:-=+]:::•:::[+=:—- 

 

It was late in the afternoon when Waverly began looking for Wynonna. 

She started at cabin A. Empty. 

She followed the footpath to the target shooting range. Nothing. 

She found Curtis packing freshly caught halibut and asked if he’d seen her. “Not for at least an hour.”

Finally, Waverly found her sister waist deep in the generator, cursing and throwing tools every which way.

“Need any help?”

“Ha! This engine, she likes a little alone time with me once and awhile. The poor girl gets jealous when we’ve spent too much time apart— and who can blame her?” She grabbed a wrench and loosened a bolt to clean out the oil. “We have history. Despite Curtis’ best efforts, this here engine prefers a woman’s touch.” Wynonna expertly slid a tray out of her way, reattached the bolt and shimmied out into the warm early evening light.. She wiped oil from her hands and looked up at Waverly, “Shouldn’t you be doing a Great American Bird Watching Tour right about now?”

“Not for another twenty minutes. I was hoping you could spare a minute.”

“I’m all yours. Do you need an aesthetician? Because in a pinch, I can probably help you out.”

Waverly sighed, “Nope. All good on the skin care situation.”

“What really brought you all the way out here?”

“Well, I’ve been meaning to tell you that I’ve been seeing Haught.”

Just then the motor finally kicked into gear, drowning out Waverly’s voice. Wynonna smacked the engine hard and whooped. “What was that baby girl? Have I seen Haught?”

Waverly cleared her throat and leaned in closer, almost shouting. “No, I said, I’ve been seeing Nicole Haught, ‘ _romantically_.”’ She used air quotes.

Wynonna set down her wrench, “Oh yeah…The Eagle Scout, huh? Interesting…So the generator isn’t the only one benefitting from a woman’s touch.” She raised her eyebrows suggestively. “How romantically are we talking here?” Waverly looked back blankly. 

Wynonna teased, “Cat got your tongue?”

Waverly huffed, “No.” 

“Wait a sec. Is that her shirt you’re wearing?”

Waverly might have found one of Nicole’s Coast Guard tees conveniently crumpled into a ball when making her bed one morning. Who hasn’t innocently borrowed a roommate’s clothes at least once in their life?

“If she’s left you speechless, that’s all I need to know. Bush pilot. Those two words say it all.” Wynonna shook the thought from her head and turned back to the engine.

Waverly folded her arms impatiently and sighed. She looked down at Wynonna and ached for her sister to read Waverly’s mind and talk to her in more depth about this new situation with Nicole.

Wynonna reached down and turned some dials, clearly affecting the speed of the engine. “That’s my girl.” She extracted herself from the work at hand and jumped up to sit on the edge of the deck next to Waverly, She leaned against her shoulder, “And now that the hard work is done… I’m all yours. What’s up?”

She told Wynonna about their stargazing and long, late night conversations. Then, she got to the core of her misgivings. “This thing with Nicole, _this was not part of my summer plan_. I’m here to center myself and enjoy this beautiful island.” She rolled her eyes, “Not spend my free time holed up on the floor of a rustic cabin with some cocky redhead who eats bacon for breakfast.”

Wynonna nodded. “Bacon, really? That’s the real burn, is it?”

“I wish.” Waverly’s voice faltered. “Actually, I think she prefers yogurt and granola…” She looked down at the edge of her flannel and spun the fabric in her fingers, “When we’re together, rrrr, it’s so good. And… I don’t know. It’s a lot.”

She reminded her about the time Nicole pulled her out of the creek and all of Nicole’s work on Search and Rescue. Nicole was such a good person and it was fun to finally share these recent discoveries with Wynonna.

“I hate to interrupt your drool fest, but can we back up just a smidge? I’m a little out of the loop. How long has this been going on?”

“A couple of weeks, right after she gave me those peaches I made the peach tart with.”

“I totally remember. Delish. So, in Kodiak Island time, that’s what? Two months, at least.”

Waverly shrugged. 

Wynonna went on. “I’m no expert, but according to the ways of your people, after two weeks shouldn’t you be ready to move in and get a cat? Oh wait, that’s right. You _already_ live together. So is Captain Crunch gonna be your maid of honor?.”

“No!” Waverly swatted her sister. In the back of her mind, she loved living with Nicole and didn’t like thinking about an end to the summer. “First of all, his name is _Colonel Mustard_ and he’s fully rehabilitated.” She sighed, “And secondly, it’s not like that. Nicole just ended a serious relationship. I’m pretty sure, she’s in no hurry to get into another one.”

“So, you’re good. No strings attached.”

Waverly was quiet, her feet dangled.

Wynonna let the quiet be. The two looked out into the trees, soaking in the beauty around them. After a spell, she turned to Waverly. “Let me guess, feelings?” She used her pointer finger to survey her sister and struck paydirt with a bullseye right at Waverly’s heart. “Am I right?”

“Big feelings.”

Wynonna pulled Waverly into a hug with one strong arm, “The worst kind. Blech.”

Waverly put her hand over Wynonna’s. “Big feelings were not part of the plan.’

“For Earps, they rarely are. It’s a gamble that usually leads to heartbreak and loneliness.”   Wynonna stood up and reached a hand out to Waverly. “You could take a page from my book and drown those blasted feelings in alcohol. Hasta la vista, baby..” She reached out and grabbed her sister’s hand as they walked, “But then again, you’ve always made better choices than me, so… yeah…”

“Yeah what?”

“You’re one tough cookie. I never took you for someone who’d run away from feelings, big or small. And if she’s all that, it might be worth the risk.”

The sisters walked along the back of the outbuildings. Their voices faded as the neared the lodge. Waverly grabbed binoculars and met their guests for a short wildlife walk. 

With the very first introductions, Waverly kicked into tour guide mode with Wynonna along for comic relief. She held a pair of binoculars in firmly both hands, ready to spot even the fastest little nuthatch. She led them first around the back, to a chickadee’s nest she’d been keeping tabs on. As she reviewed what they might see on the walk, she heard the sounds of chopping wood.

Before she could prepare herself, they were around the corner and she saw Nicole.

Nicole was chopping wood. 

Again.

And she was wearing a white undershirt.

Waverly was unable to finish her sentence or keep walking.

She almost tripped.

The whole group stopped and followed her gaze, across the dappled light of the clearing.

Nicole split a log cleanly in two and then grabbed another, giving it the same treatment. She swung her axe into a wide trunk off to one side. The blade sunk firmly in the wood. She let go of the axe handle and grabbed her new water bottle.  Sweat dropped down her face as she took a long drink. She was so absorbed in her work, it was a second before she saw the group and waved. “I thought y’all were out looking for wildlife? Not another sweaty ole human.”

Waverly called back, “You look pretty wild to me.”

“From a card carrying tree hugger like yourself, it’s official, then. I’m wild.” Nicole set her water bottle down and wiped the sweat from her brow with a familiar red bandanna. “Except for this water bottle. That may be the first sign that I’m being domesticated.” Waverly heart warmed at the little gesture. Just another affirmation, adding to the list in the unofficial I’m-All-Yours tally.

Wynonna said, “Esther, Mitchell, I assume you’ve met our pilot, Nicole Haught.”

The couple from Palo Alto waved. “Howdy, Nicole.”

Waverly sparkled, “Hi, Nicole.” 

Nicole called back. “Hey. Don’t let me slow you down. I’m getting ready for an over-night out at Raspberry Island tomorrow. Y’all have fun.”

Wynonna gently put her arm around Waverly’s shoulder. She whispered, “Psst, sis. I think your feelings are out on display for the wide world. Any chance you could come back down to earth, angel?”

Nicole beamed up, “Waverly’s one of the best guides we’ve got. You’re in good hands.” 

Wynonna‘s chest swelled with pride. She physically moved her sister 90° to redirect her gaze and cleared her throat. “It’s true. Why don’t you show her your axe-throwing?” 

“Seriously?”

Wynonna turned to their guests. “You guys wanna see my baby sister show off for her bunkmate?”

The guests nodded without a word.

“Um, sure. Yes.” Waverly surrendered. “Whatever you think, boss.”

Wynonna huffed. “Just a sec.” She trotted off and reappeared with a short hatchet outstretched in one hand. Waverly set down her binoculars and was standing with her arms akimbo, submitting to a major supporting role in the Wynonna Show, “You’ve all seen the prowess of the one and only Nicole Haught, splitting wood like a power ranger’s lumberjack wet dream. Next up: Waverly Earp, strength and precision in a pretty package. Yessiree folks, Alaska brings out the raw power of the human will to survive, but especially so in women.” She whispered to Mitchell, “Watch out tonight, big fella.” She elbowed him gently in the ribs and stepped back for Waverly to have room.  

Waverly took a deep breath and found her mark: a large pine. It was straight ahead and at least eighteen inches wide. She felt out the line with a few slow steps back and forth. She moved slowly with a practice swoop of her arm. She looked down to Nicole who winked back. Then, she made her move, smoothly walking forward, swinging the hatchet and letting go.

It spun in the air.

Whooshing with each rotation.

Before hitting the soft bark with a firm strike.

Bam 

The hatchet stayed in place and shook a little side to side. 

“Bullseye!”

Esther and Mitchell clapped.

Waverly caught Nicole’s eye and felt a rush of sparks. She brushed her hands together. “All in a day's work.” 

Wynonna cleared her throat and offered Waverly a second axe from behind her back. “You think you can make it two for two?”

Waverly was game. She took the handle and lined up again, watching Nicole’s gaze from the corner of her eye.

She struck wood a couple inches from her first strike.

Wynonna said, “Excellent.” She handed her a third axe, “How about three strikes and we’re out, leaving Haught to her one-woman deforestation project.”

Waverly shrugged, “You’re the boss.” 

Esther leaned in, “I’m so impressed.”

The axe found a home right next to the other three, just like it was meant to be.

Waverly bowed and then turned to her big sister. “Wynonna, do _you_ have any tricks for us?” 

Wynonna’s face glowed and she went to grab the pistol at her hip. 

Waverly shook her head, “Remember, birdwatching.”

“Fine.” Wynonna turned to her guests, “You guys like close-up magic?”

Waverly ran down a short rise of stairs to grab the axes from the trunk. She could hear Wynonna doing magic tricks with a coin as she crossed the clearing, and then was keenly aware that there was no way she could reach those hatchets. Way too high. From the angle of the deck, she’d planted her target easily eight feet in the air.

Nicole saw the futility and hid her smirk behind a big drink of water before grabbing her axe. “I’ll help you with that later, but for now, I’ve got work to do.”

Waverly watched her turn back to her work. The muscles in Nicole’s back caught Waverly’s attention and then the curve of her ass held her imagination. She thought about their date later and bit her lip. With her mental facilities fully occupied, her body came to screeching halt.

“Earth to Waverly. Come in Waverly.” Wynonna called down to her sister. “These folks are on vacation. Let’s maximize their fun. You were saying, there aren’t any moose or wolves on the island, but _what might we see on our walk today_ …”

“Right…” Waverly grabbed ahold of her responsibility. “Bye Nicole!” She rushed back up to the group, managing to explain the natural history of the unusually large Kodiak bear, while the slow rhythm of Nicole chopping wood faded into the distance. 

As they made their way from the trees of the creekside walk to the shoreline, Wynonna teased Waverly. “After that wood chopping, I almost had some feelings myself. Nice catch!”

Waverly blushed and then rolled her eyes, “That’s. Not. Helping!”

 

 

—- :   ] : : : |  | : : : [  : —-

 

Weeks passed. 

Waverly got on Nicole’s shoulders and pulled the hatchets from the tree trunk. She made vegan cashew cheesecake with huckleberries. They ate the dessert at the end of the dock and watched the Perseid meteor shower. There were singalongs and poker games. Sure as the sun rises every morning, there were lingering looks and shy eyes blushing at the bloom before them.

Nicole invited Waverly for her Seals workout and was surprised when she said yes. After two earnest attempts, Waverly admitted that 4:30am was too early for a bartender to do anything, let alone a cross body push-up. She learned a few secrets and teased Nicole endlessly about the Britney Spears playing on her headphones. They found moments, and minutes, and hours together, working against their opposing schedules to find time wherever they could..

Waverly came into the bunkhouse after karaoke duty and was surprised to see Nicole glued to her phone. “Hey babe.” 

“Oh, hey.”

Waverly went to the spot Nicole made next to her and lay down, “It’s not like you to be so plugged in.”

“Oh this.” Nicole set the phone down and shook her head, “Yeah, you could say I’ve been a _little distracted f_ or the past few weeks.” She gave Waverly a look that made her go weak in the knees but then turned back to her phone, “But I need to tee up some of my plans up for the fall.” Waverly took in a deep breath. It was the first time Nicole had mentioned the end of summer **.** “Sadly, that requires some serious Craiglist-ing. Unlike the rest of the wilderness, the lodge has WiFi. So, here and there I’m trying to stay on schedule.”

Waverly nodded. “In my experience, the lodge’s WiFi is a little more _there_ than here.”

“No kidding. I’m waiting for some images to load… Right. As. We. Speak.” Nicole had this way of talking to Waverly that made the whole world fall away. Waverly had never met someone who made her go all tingly with a long drawn out sentence and a pointed gaze. She blinked hard to stay in the driver’s seat. Between sweet little kisses, Waverly asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, what do you need on Craigslist that’s so time sensitive?” 

“Oh, right. That probably sounds pretty crazy.” Nicole grabbed her phone and smiled. “I’m trying to find a camper van for under ten grand.” She showed Waverly the image on her phone, “What do you think? Can you see me behind the wheel of this bad boy?”

Waverly looked closer, “Let’s see… VW Bus, painted with daisies and… Hmm… Is that a chocolate lab?”

Nicole leaned closer to her shoulder, “I think it’s supposed to be a bear.”

Waverly swiped through the photos of the little counter top “kitchenette” and tie-dyed curtains. There was a third shot of the back of the van. “Oh look, a polar bear.”

Nicole wrinkled her brow. “I’m not so sure. That pose is giving off a distinct wolf-y vibe.” She stopped reached over Waverly’s shoulder to zoom in. “Hold on a sec. Rust.” She looked closer, “And look at that panel, totally held together with duct tape and epoxy.”

“So, you’re not feeling the love for moon bear?”

“Another dead end.” Nicole sighed deeply and set her phone down off the edge of the mattress. As she did this, she reached into her duffle under the bed. She pulled out a neatly folded map, “You wanna see my master plan.”

“Oh, you have a map. _I love maps.”_  

“Me too.” Nicole slid up to a seated position and unfolded the continental U.S. onto the bed as Waverly sat up to get a better look. The map was highlighted with lines in a few different colors that reached from east to west.

“Wow.” Waverly said.

“I’m still working out the details and I _need_ to find a camper, but this is it.” She traced her fingers along the routes and said, “I thought planning the route would be tough and getting the camper would be easy, but it’s turned out to be the opposite.. At this bandwidth, I’m starting to have doubts that I can pull it off.”

“Maybe I could help. Gus has a computer in her office with a wired connection. I can hook you up, if you want.”

“Solid. I’d love that.”

“If you want, I could even help you look.” Waverly grimaced.

“You’d do that for me?”

Waverly looked over at Nicole’s beaming smile, “I’d do a lot of things to you.”

“For me.”

“That too. Seriously though. Wynonna uses it all the time for research.”

“You don’t mind?!”

“Of course not. Just let me know what you’re looking for and I’ll save the links. Under 10k, good condition, with a bed and a kitchen. And let me guess: Manual transmission and a sunset painted on the side?”

Nicole wrinkled her nose, “You know me so well. I’d love that. **”**

“Now that we have a plan to find you some wheels, why don’t you show me this bangin’ map?”

“Okay.”

“So many colors. It’s almost bordering on nerdsville.”

 “Fair point.” Nicole smoothed out the map and started, “Depending on where I start, I’d like to see as many National Parks as I can. Maybe start here for fall colors, drop down here in the winter, and then over this way for the spring. This part gets a little iffy. Too many good options.”

“Totally amazeballs.” Waverly looked at the lines of the map trying to not to ask if anyone else was going with Nicole on this epic adventure.

They both pondered the map. 

Waverly pointed at the northern edge. “Purgatory is just off the map, right here.” She continued exploring the map, thinking of all the places she wanted to see, looking closely at the highways and rivers. One interesting path led to another. She examined Nicole’s highlighted routes, reading off the names of the destinations along the way. “Litchfield, Betheham, Gettysburg, Harper’s Ferry.”

“You found my Appalachian chain. Have you ever taken a long road trip?”

Waverly laughed, “No, it sounds incredible. You?”

“I’ve been on a little section here in Utah, mostly climbing for a few weeks. I once drove from Tacoma to Spokane and back. And my parents used to drive us 800 miles to Little Rock every summer, but no. Not really. I’ve never done anything on this scale.” She paused, looking over the routes she’d marked. “After the Seals thing went away, I decided I needed a major reset. This job was a perfect cash cow to make this road trip happen. Who knows? Hopefully somewhere between Arcadia and Albuquerque, I’ll decide what I want to do with my life.” She folded up the map and tucked it back in her bag. Outside an animal moved through the bushes. Nicole stared off at the sound and pushed her hair off her face.

Waverly put a hand on her shoulder, “You okay? You seem miles away.”

“It seems like ages ago when I marked up that map. I was in such a different place then. This job. Kodiak. It all seemed like NBD.”

Waverly’s response came slowly. She put her hands on Nicole’s shoulders, gently working out the tension. “I know what you mean.” Her hand traced down Nicole’s shoulders. Nicole turned. “Do you think you’ll be back next summer?”

Their faces leaned into each other as Waverly answered, “I basically already promised Gus and Curtis as much. What about you?” 

“Oh, Waverly.” Her voice was hesitant.

Waverly worried she’d said too much, “Shhh… Forget I asked.” She had been very good at avoiding the subject, but somehow it just snuck up on her. She shook her head as she mentally kicked herself for bringing this up.

Nicole found Waverly’s hands and gave them each a squeeze. She held her gaze softly and said, “I don’t know.” The words were sad and low.

Waverly took a slow breath, taking in the softness of Nicole’s cheeks, the smell of her, every little detail. She leaned back slightly, “Nic, I just want to be with you here and now. We don’t have to talk about anything.” As she spoke, she felt Nicole’s eyes soften and slowly close against her lips.

It felt good not to talk. 

Nothing in Nicole’s touch felt like a goodbye. 

It was too soon to say the words I love you, but each kiss and touch showed the colors of their hearts, weaving together and dancing in sparks that flew in every direction.. 

 

~ ~ ~  < < • > > ~ ~ ~ 

 

Waverly’s voice was breezy in the hallway as she walked with Doc. All the while, she played with an amber pendant around her neck, a recent gift from Nicole, who said it reminded her of stargazing. 

While day-dreaming about Nicole, Waverly chatted casually with Doc, “I was thinking I might change the happy hour menu and make those snickerdoodles you like so much.” 

“No oatmeal. Or raisins! Heretical and brilliant.”

Waverly was taking long strides down the hall when she spotted Nicole in Gus’ office. Her hand was lightly on her neck and she clicked enter with a quick, happy stroke. Her hands went right back to the keyboard and her eyes stayed focused intently on the screen. Waverly made a little detour for quick hello.

“Sorry to interrupt. Just wanted to say hi. Hi.” 

“Waves, thanks for the help. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Aw, you’re welcome. Anything promising from my list?”

“Actually yeh. Do you have a sec?”

Waverly grimaced and peeked back to Doc who was waiting for her with anxious eyes, “Mm, I have about three.”

“I’ll be quick. First, you’re a genius with these campers. Already I emailed four or five real possibilities.” Nicole showed Waverly the photos of the Sportsmobile Waverly had tracked down in Michigan. “This is kinda my favorite.”  
“Look, it even has a bike on the front. How perfect is that? I’m gonna email the seller now.”

Waverly squeezed her shoulders, “I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Curtis was the one who suggested I look for a Sportsmobile.”

“And secondly, speaking of suggestions, your list of pie restaurants in the Rockies. Pure gold! I never would have thought of that.”

“Well, I know how much you like your sweets. Did you see the co-op? Cool, right?”

Nicole nodded. “I was so focused on parks and climbing, I hadn’t thought about food. I love that idea.”

Doc called for Waverly. Before she headed out the door, she finished her thought. “Well, with the van, you’ll be a free bird, Nicole. The world is your oyster mushroom.”

Nicole called back, “Maybe I should come see you in Purgatory.”

Waverly’s heart stopped beating. Her face got hot. She turned back to see Nicole standing in the door.

Waverly took a deep breath, “If you come, I’ll bake you anything you’d like.”

From the distance, a voice interrupted. “Oh Waverly…” Doc’s was gentle but insistent.

Nicole’s voice vied for her attention. “And sing my favorite Ani songs on your front porch?”

“Argh. Yes. I better go. You’re gonna get me in trouble. If word gets back to Wynonna there were no cookies for happy hour, you and I will both pay the price. But, yes. Come visit. I’d love that.”

 

• • 0 0 ( ( **(** **0 0 0 )** ) ) 0 0 • • •

 

When Robin and Jeremy made there way back to the lodge, it was a sure sign the summer was winding down. Nicole dropped them off with hugs and an exchange of cell numbers, before taking off again into the wild blue yonder.

The night, the group around the fire was small. After the last few guests called it a night, Waverly, Wynonna, Doc and the boys moved their chairs closer to the fire and passed a joint that magically appeared from the brim of Doc’s hat.

Wynonna was first in line, “Don’t mind if I do. Thank you.” She took a long toke and passed it along to Robin.

“Oh, wow, civilization. I feel like I’m back in Northampton already.”

The joint lasted a couple rounds, and then stalled at Robin. He laughed, “Anyone here want to guess how many soil temperatures I probed this summer.”

Doc almost choked on his drink.

Wynonna leaned in deviously, “I didn’t think it was polite to ask, _in polite company and all_ , but the paying guests are asleep, so spill. How many?”

Jeremy answered very slowly, “Nine-hundred and eighty six.”

Waverly clapped and Robin cheered.

Wynonna nodded, “Almost a thousand. Why’d you stop there, cowboy?”

Jeremy smiled. He almost got out the answer out, but was too consumed with laughing. Finally, he stopped and held onto both arms of the chair, turning to Wynonna with a very serious expression, “Statistics, sweetheart. Cold, hard, science.”

Doc fidgetted uncomfortably in his chair, taking a long drink of beer.

Robin chimed in, “And now, we can rest.” He raised his beer in a toast.

Doc clanked bottles, “To rest and to the rest of creation. I feel truly blessed.”

The group soaked up the beauty of the sky above them. Waverly felt all warm and cozy. She saw the bright spot of Saturn and thought about Nicole. She was the only one there without her special person to cuddle up with.

Wynonna moved over next to her in the oversized chair. “What’s on your mind baby girl?”

Waverly blushed and looked up instead of answering.

“Oh god, not Haught Wings. I’d say _get a room_ but you already have one.” 

Wynonna put her arm around Waverly, who said quietly, “I wish she was here.”

“Me too, I can’t wait to take her money at the axe-throwing tournament.”

Waverly smiled, “I really don’t want the summer to end.”

“Come on. I’m sure you’ll get used to life without mosquitos the size of hummingbirds.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“I know.” Wynonna took her hand and held it gently, looking out to the reflection of the moon rising above the bay. “Does she know?”

“We’re very good avoiding the subject. Although in the last couple weeks, helping her find a camper van, that’s changed a bit. Now, it’s more like we’re talking _around_ it. All of a sudden, I’m sending her addresses for cool vegan bakeries and hidden women’s history landmarks.” She shook her head, “I’m basically helping her plan her road trip.”

“Like any good girlfriend would.”  
“We’re not using the G word, ‘Nonna.” She sighed, “Or the L Word, but it did almost slip out _recently.”_

“Is that why you’re going gaga over the stars tonight thinking about your Haught date? Get it? Haught.”

“No.” Waverly didn’t want to admit it. She saw Saturn still there in the sky, like a little reminder of the gold flecks in Nicole’s brown eyes and the amber pendant hanging around her neck. She played with the necklace. Did the amber commemorate the summer like a time capsule? Or show the power of a single moment to last a lifetime? In her current state of mind, it was easy to imagine any and all possibilities almost simultaneously.

With each thought, she slid the pendant on the chain and felt each link in the chain whir against the clasp. Slowly, she sunk deeper into the chair.

When Saturn slipped behind a tree, she nudged Wynonna with her elbow and pointed to Doc. He was asleep with his hat half falling off. She let the quiet sit while they both considered the situation and then asked, “Do you think I’m being too naive about some summer fling?”

“What!? Are you still thinking about Nicole? You’re not giving her gas money for this road trip; are you?”

“No! Don’t be ridiculous. The first thing I said when we kissed was _Is this a bad idea?_ And now look at me. Pining over a pilot. Mapping out the days that she _might_ drive through Purgatory. Hoping I don’t accidently say _I love you_ too soon.”

Wynonna looked over at Doc, about to drop his beer, with a toothpick hanging precariously from his lip. “Things happen.” She stood up and rescued the beer and then returned to her spot next to Waverly, tucking her legs under the blanket. “You never know when or where.”

Waverly pulled her knees close to her chest, “Or who.”

 

~ ~ ~  < < • > > ~ ~ ~ 

 

From the co-pilot’s seat, Waverly had a view of everything: the clouds around her, the sky above, the ocean and islands below, and Nicole next to her. She was almost bursting, “I love this.”

“Yeah, even after three months, it’s still pretty cool. Now you know why I’m such a cocky asshole.”

Waverly leaned out to get a better view. “All is forgiven.”

Nicole turned and winked, tilting the wings as she made Waverly’s heart pound like a drum.

It was a last minute plan, started with a sudden cancellation on Nicole’s calendar. Her last trip of the season was already paid-in-full, but the guests decided on a whim to go dog-sledding instead. 

Their loss was Waverly’s gain. 

In a week the summer would be over, the DeHavilland would go back to its home in Anchorage and Waverly back to Purgatory. She imagined herself diving into grad school applications and working at Shorty’s bar.

Waverly pushed the whiskey soaked scene out of her mind and felt her stomach twist as they descended into a serene cove. They touched down in Nicole and Xavier’s secret spot for kayaking. She watched every expert move, as Nicole got their kayaks ready and picnic loaded.

Once they were in the water, Nicole led the way from one inlet to the next. Waverly’s arms strained against the current around the stack of rocks at each point. In between, they saw eagles dotting the shore and watched the trees sway in the wind. At a stream outlet a pair of otters dashed into the trees.

About an hour later, they rounded the third point to a quiet bay. Nicole signaled to Waverly to slow down. The boats glided into each other, with a low thump. Nicole grabbed the second kayak and held it close, pointing to a whale fin breaking the waterline in the distance. Waverly grabbed her binoculars and watched the fin rise and fall in the water. The two spoke in whispers, imperceptibly drifting out of the shelter of the bay as the whale faded off into the distance. Nicole hitched a line to the front of Waverly’s kayak and powered them back to the bay. Her breathing was labored. Each stroke moved them with steadily against the current. She pressed on without pause until they finally inched forward, first into the bay and gradually tapering off the pace of her rowing as they neared the shore.

She unhitched the line and directed Waverly to paddle onto the beach after her, leading by example and then grabbing Waverly’s boat as it touched the rocky shore.

With her feet firmly planted on the ground, the forest at the edge of the water seemed to hum with ancient stories. Waverly took a deep breath and soaked it all in.

Nicole called out, “Not too shabby, eh?”

“It’s perfect.”

The two settled down for a picnic. Before even taking the first bite, Waverly could tell by the smell of the bread how hungry she was. There were quiet, shared glances in between bites. All around them, Alaska put on a show that filled the silence.

When Waverly finished the last bit of hummus, and stretched out her legs, Nicole said, “You wanna walk around a bit?”

“Is it safe?”

“I can show you my camp spot. I’ve spent quite a few nights here and I’m still alive to tell the tale.”

The camp was in an open area on the edge of the trees. 

Nicole said, “After camping here so many times, I’m feeling a bit bit sentimental.” She found a flat rock and skipped a stone in the shallows. A songbird flew near and landed on a bare branch of driftwood. 

Looking closer, Waverly could see the signs of gentle wear. A few matted paths trailed off into the trees. A fallen trunks had a few sawed off lower branches. There was even a set of initials carved into the exposed wood of the huge, graying log. But mostly it was empty. Soon nature would have her way and hide the evidence that Nicole and her campers had ever been there. The sense of impending goodbyes was undeniable. 

“You okay?”

“Just feeling a bit hot.”  
“Come here.” Nicole took Waverly by the hand and walked into the cool shade at the forest edge. She stopped and turned, gently pressing Waverly into a moss covered trunk. Their lips met and Waverly could feel the little cracks in her heart start to heal.

Nicole stopped and looked into Waverly’s hazel eyes. “I sealed the deal on the Econoline Sportsmobile in Kalamazoo.”

In this very romantic moment, this may have been the most unromantic thing Waverly had ever heard. She joked, “You’re pulling my leg? I thought a 1982 brown and tan adventure machine like that was too good to be true.”

Nicole hands stayed on Waverly’s waist, gently stroking the skin there. She went on, pragmatically detailing her vehicle purchase, unaware of Waverly’s dismay. “Nope. It’s official. I fly from Anchorage to Detroit, and then take a bus to Kalamazoo.”

“So, you’re all set.” Waverly’s voice was slow. She prepared herself for the efficient military good-bye about to happen.

Nicole leaned in closer, just like Waverly expected her to do. Her thumb traced the line of Waverly’s lip as she steadily held Waverly’s gaze.

“Actually, there is one more thing I want to do.”  
“What’s that? I could totally you see getting a rack for kayaks. Maybe some fuzzy dice.” Waverly hoped Wynonna’s trick of humor might save her from falling apart.  
Nicole smiled and laughed. “I could, couldn’t I?”  She paused and stepped back, still keeping her hands around Waverly’s waist. Nicole pressed her lips together, maybe working up the nerve to say something about fuel efficiency or spark plugs. Waverly couldn’t tell.

Finally Nicole spoke. “It’s crazy, but I was wondering… if you might wanna join me on my road trip. Maybe change your ticket and switch your plans to go back home.”

“Really?” Waverly was taken off guard. Her brain split in a few directions. Part was still hunkering down for a bland farewell, but the greater half split between two major initiatives. In an instant, she was 30% plotting how to make it happen, while the other 30% was spiraling in gleeful surprise. 

In the silence that followed, Nicole second guessed herself aloud, “It’s too soon to plan to spend thousands of miles on the road. Right? Just being with you here and paddling in. It’s the only thing I’ve been thinking about. I had to ask. I’d regret it, if I didn’t at least try. You already know; I’m not the sharpest crayon in the box. It’s too much.”

“No. That’s not it.” Waverly grabbed Nicole’s shoulders. “I’m just surprised.” Waverly nodded her head yes  to the initial question of whether she’d like to join Nicole and shook her head no to the thought that it might be too soon.

Amidst all these mixed signals, Nicole looked down and her shoulders dropped “I know; it’s just been half a summer for us, but…” She pushed the hair off her face and looked back at Waverly. ”I’m supposed to be flying solo and thinking about what I want to do next with my life, not getting distracted thinking about you.” Her voice softened, ”But you’re not a distraction.” Nicole paused again, closing the distance between them. Nicole corrected herself again. “Waverly Earp, you’re definitely not a distraction. The next thing I want to do with my life is go on a road trip with you.” 

She inched closer towards Waverly’s affirming smile and made her case with kisses, “And eat apple pie. And drink feminist beer.”

“Go on.”

Her kisses migrated to Waverly’s neck. “And canoe, bike, and climb. And bird-watch. Lots of good bird watching.”

“Is this your way of persuading me?” 

“Yes. Is it working?”

“I’m listening. Go on.” It was hard to talk with Nicole’s mouth on her, but the list was too good to stop now.

“And more kissing. I promise lots of kissing.”  
“I like the way this sounds. Any chance of museums? ‘cause Wynonna hates museums.”

“Yes, museums and historical walks and first-evers. I’ll do whatever there is to do in Seneca Falls.” 

Waverly teased Nicole, withholding her answer for a minute longer before saying yes. Her eyes were closed as their bodies sealed the deal. She imagined herself sitting in a folding chair next to the camper, occasionally working out her own life plans with grad school applications and maybe even a few campus visits along the way. She unbuttoned her shorts and gave Nicole’s hand a nudge. There would be campfires and alpine lakes. She could see the road map of the summer in between the fireworks going off in her brain.

A calendar on the wall might have said it was too soon, but her heart knew the truth. It didn’t feel risky or reckless to hit the road with Nicole. The careless thing would be in saying good-bye now, just because it wasn’t what either of them had planned for. 

 

~ ~ ~  < < • > > ~ ~ ~ 

 

Their long trip to Kalamazoo was a blur of flight delays and stale airports. The food in the airports tasted like salted cardboard and sugar. Things smelled funny, and everywhere were these noises. Hums and buzzing sounds. Beeps and intercoms. 

More than once Waverly and Nicole had affirmed to each other that all their time in the wilderness had changed them more than they expected. 

When they switched planes in Seattle, Waverly said, “ I feel like a time traveller.” 

Nicole took a bite of her dry bagel and tried to rally, “For you, that sounds like a dream come true. I'm glad you’re here to focus on the bright side. I’m probably not the best passenger.”

“Any chance you might wanna fly one of these someday?”

“Mmm… Anything’s possible.”

 Waverly nodded. “Everything feels so different. It’s not like expected.”

Once Waverly and Nicole finally stepped off the Greyhound in Kalamazoo and touched the ground, it was like they finally were back in reality. 

Waverly had been cc’ed on emails with the seller, Barbara, working out details of the sale, and the sundries currently in the van. More recently, they’d switched to text messages.

As planned, Barbara picked them up at the bus station in a well loved pick-up. 

The three shared the long bench seat comfortably. Barbara understood their fatigue. She passed the time on the short drive telling them about her own adventures in the Sportsmobile, mostly to nearby lakes or up to Canada. In return, Waverly told her about the lodge and Kodiak. She asked about Barbara's dogs and her backyard garden. She gently alluded to a few highlights of her and Nicole’s upcoming plans. 

Barbara said, “I’m a bit jealous of you two. To start with, you’re taking my camper. _That’s no small sacrifice on my part._ But now you tell me about a whole summer on a remote Alaskan island. Some people are truly blessed.”

Waverly looked at Nicole and blushed, “I do feel pretty lucky.”

The old woman looked back fondly, “And you’re just starting out. Who knows all the good things yet to happen?”

Waverly bit her lip and grabbed Nicole’s hand, just thinking of the possibilities.

The camper smelled like patchouli and dust. It ran well enough and had a high-top. 

Nicole could stand up. She reached up and grazed the roof with her fingertips. 

Waverly could tell by the look on her face that this would do just fine.

– o –

 

An hour or so later, Waverly and Nicole were filling the tank and settling in. The sliding door was wide open.  

Finally alone in the camper, Waverly was checking all the little nooks and crannies more thoroughly than ever before. While the tank was filling up, she unpacked her carry-on bag and talked in short bursts with Nicole about this and that. She found a cork board and tacked her shopping lists for REI and the grocery store next to each other. As she worked and surveyed their assets, the lists were careful amended.

A cool breeze carried away the smell of dust. In its place, all Waverly could feel was the great wide open. 

Meanwhile, Nicole snuck around the back and added a bumper sticker reading “I Love Animals” to the van. 

Waverly ran out to see what was up and narrowed her eyes, “That might need some editing.”

Nicole agreed, “But before we do, I wanna send a selfie to Dolls. Kay?”

Waverly found a spot comfortable in Nicole’s arms with the camper in the back. As they posed, the gas pump jerked back, and the two were bursting with excitement. 

Nicole said, “It looks like we’re ready to go.”

“Let’s do it.” Waverly rushed in and swung the van door shut behind her.

Nicole placed the gas pump back and took her position behind the wheel. As she adjusted the mirror for the third time so far, she called back, “We’re about to take off. The pilot is asking everyone to fasten their seat belts…”

Waverly interrupted as she slid into her seat, “Hold on there, captain. It’s come to my attention that this van comes with an unmarked mixtape, just waiting to be played.”

“Carry on.” Nicole turned the key and directed the van towards the highway. 

As Nicole spoke, Waverly eyed the tape, “Wanna make a bet about what’s on here? I’m getting strong James Taylor vibes. Maybe a whiff of Travelling Wilburys…”

Nicole raised her eyebrows. “Really? Well, when we met the first thing I did was lose a bet, so…”

“What?”

“I’m onto you, Earp.”

“Good. Right where I want you.” Waverly slipped the cassette into the deck and put her hand on the volume. The rhythm of guitars strumming made her smile. She knew the song and moved her head with the beat.

When the lyrics started, Nicole joined in “ _Sugar Magnolia blossoms blooming_.” The two women eyed each other, singing along. 

Waverly said, “I think this is a good omen.”

Nicole nodded and moved to the music, “Babe, you know I don’t believe in omens, but in this case I’ll make an exception. You’re 100% right. You and I are going to have an amazing time on this trip, ringin’ that blue bell.”

Waverly leaned her feet up on the dash and let herself seal this moment in her memory, playing with the amber pendant around her neck. 

The woods around them closed in the further they drove, eventually forming a canopy above the road. They found their way to a little lakeside motel for their first night on the road, while still getting set up the camper. They both were looking forward to a shower and bed.

Soon enough, they would find their first campsite and lay out under the stars. But until then, Waverly had now, and every moment felt as true as the one before. She was free.

—- :   ] : : : |  | : : : [  : —-

**Perfect Snickerdoodles**

  * 1/2 cup butter, softened
  * 1/2 cup shortening
  * 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  * 2 eggs or substitute
  * 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  * 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  * 1 teaspoon baking soda
  * 1/4 teaspoon salt
  * 2 tablespoons white sugar
  * 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon



**Directions**  
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).  
Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla.  
Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.  
Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon.  
Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard.  
Remove immediately from baking sheets.

 

 

 **Vegan Cashew Cheesecake with Huckleberries  
**from minimalistbaker.com with tweaks by @TofuVebab

 **CRUST: Graham cracker crust in muffin tins  
** 1.5 cups crushed graham,  
4 tbsp vegan butter,  
2 tbsp crushed walnut.  
Lightly grease a standard, 12 slot muffin tin. _To make removing the cheesecakes easier, cut strips of parchment paper and lay them in the slots._  
Scoop in heaping 1 Tbsp amounts of crust and press with fingers. To pack it down, use a small glass or the back of a spoon to compact it and really press it down.  
Set in freezer to firm up.

 **CHEESECAKE  
** 1 1/2 cups raw cashews  
1/4 cup lemon juice  
1/3 cup coconut oil, warm  
2/3 scant cup full-fat coconut milk (Put a can of coconut milk in the fridge. The top will become partially solid, so use those parts in your 2/3 coconut milk)  
1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup  
Add all filling ingredients to a blender and mix until very smooth.  
If it won't come together, add a touch more lemon juice or agave or a splash more coconut milk liquid as the liquid should help it blend better.

 **FILLING  
**1/4 cup fresh huckleberries

Divide filling evenly among the muffin tins. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles.  
Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hard— about 4 to 6 hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A million thanks to LuckyWantsToKnow for being more than a beta on this last chapter. It’s not easy to find a happy ending. Her encouragement and patience were exactly what I needed. So thanks to a good friend, collaborator and beta extraordinaire.


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